The Effects of Generation Z Youth's Social Media Use on Their Religious Learning: A Phenomenological Study

This study aims to determine how Generation Z youth perceive social media and the effects of social media on their religious learning. The qualitative aspect of the study was structured using the multiple holistic case design. In the quantitative aspect, descriptive screening, correlational screening designs, causal comparison, and correlational design were employed. The study finds that many variables, such as gender, culture, and socio-economic level, influence religious learning. The study concludes that there are three main factors/orientations that affect religiosity in youth. These factors are understanding orientation, skeptical orientation, and individualization/freedom orientation. The unlimited environment offered by social media negatively impacts young people's perceptions and attitudes towards religion, thus adversely affecting religious learning. It has been observed that young people's inability to apply the situations that interest them in these areas due to religious rules leads to rebellion against and distancing from religion. In addition, it was concluded that the religious information shared by social media influencers, whose source and accuracy are questionable, negatively affects young people's religious learning.