Between Religiosity and Digital Polarization: A Portrait of Religious Moderation among Students at UIN Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi

Abstract

This study aims to describe the portrait of religious moderation amidst the digitalization and polarization of information among students at UIN Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi. The increasing prevalence of exclusive and extreme religious content in digital media has the potential to influence the religious perspectives and attitudes of young Muslims, particularly students at Islamic religious universities. Using a mixed-methods, descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation studies with students from various faculties, and a quantitative approach was used to analyze how social media influences religious moderation among students at UIN Sulthan Thaha. The results indicate that although students' religiosity is relatively high, there is a tendency for fragmented understanding due to unbalanced exposure to digital information. The statistical analysis results show a significant difference of 0.01. However, most students demonstrate moderate, open, and tolerant attitudes in their socio-religious lives, reinforced by the curriculum, lecturers, and campus environment that support the values ​​of moderation. This study emphasizes the importance of digital literacy and the systemic strengthening of religious moderation to counteract the negative impacts of digital polarization among young Muslims.