Exploring Digital Identity Construction Among Santri in Modern Islamic Boarding Schools
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Abstract
Digital transformation is reshaping identity formation among youth, including santri in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), where religious values shape daily life. Despite its significance, research rarely addresses how santri interpret and negotiate their digital engagement within pesantren norms. This study asks: How do santri construct and manage their digital identities in this context? Adopting a phenomenological approach with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research involved twelve santri from two modern pesantren in East Java, Indonesia. Semi-structured interviews revealed that digital platforms provide opportunities for self-expression and access to broader knowledge, yet also generate tensions as santri balance autonomy, religious authority, peer influence, and online visibility. Four themes emerged: negotiating tradition and modernity, digital platforms as social spaces, redefining authority, and balancing collective versus individual identities. The study contributes by clarifying the research gap on digital identity in pesantren, offering evidence of both opportunities and tensions in santri’s digital practices. Its implications point to the urgency of developing digital literacy frameworks that integrate religious values, while also encouraging comparative studies across different pesantren contexts.
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