CONSTRUCTING ISLAMIC IDENTITY AMONG UINSA STUDENTS THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH INSTAGRAM REELS
Keywords:
Instagram reels, Islamic identity, Muslim youth, digital da’wah, UINSA.
Abstract
This study looks to understand the meaning making process and identity formation among UINSA (Sunan Ampel Islamic State University) students surrounding the phenomenon of reels on Instagram along the visual consumerism continuum. The work focuses on the phenomenological qualitative method used in the interviews and stimulated recall. The results reveal the following. For the most part, short Islamic videos and the viewers’ emotional and cognitive shifts suggest varying degrees of motivational and spiritual awareness and reflection. Secondly, the platform has become an identity construction site where students have become netizens, and, in Islamic education, they intermingle education, personality, and algorithms into varying, at times, unique frameworks. Third, the platform influences behavioral tendencies, from subtle shifts in daily religious habits to increased trust in digital preachers, while also reinforcing the need for critical filtering to avoid superficiality and misinformation. The study concludes that Instagram reels are beyond serving as entertainment oriented content, playing a significant role in shaping emotional engagement, spiritual resonance, and being the dynamic formation of contemporary muslim youth identity.
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References
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Braun, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. University of the West of England, 3(2), 77–101.
Cotter, K., Decook, J. R., Kanthawala, S., & Foyle, K. (2022). In FYP We Trust: The Divine Force of Algorithmic Conspirituality. International Journal of Communication, 16(January), 2911–2934.
Digital 2026: Global Overview Report. (2025). We Are Social. https://indd.adobe.com/view/87891b94-222f-4223-b76f-dcaee9f22b8b?allowFullscreen=true
Emeraldien, F. Z., Harb, Y., Nauralita, T., Fitriani, C. M., & Nurhayati, A. (2024). Generation Z ’ s Trust in Mainstream Media and Social Media in Indonesia and Lebanon. Jurnal Komunikasi Islam |, 14(1).
Emeraldien, F. Z., Rotuzzakia, C., Awaliyah, R. P., Faridahd, A. N., & Chene, H.-R. (2023). The Trust of UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya Students in Mainstream and Social Media Usage. Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi), 9(1), 16–28.
Hikmat, R., Suryani, S., Yosep, I., & Jeharsae, R. (2024). Empathy’s Crucial Role: Unraveling Impact on Students Bullying Behavior - A Scoping Review. Dovepress: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 17, 3483–3495. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S469921
Ilham, Sitompul, N. A., Hasibuan, P., Septia, D., & Salim, R. A. (2025). The Role of Da’i and Influencers in Presenting Islamic Preaching Content on Social Media Case Study: The Success of Islamic Preaching in the Younger Generation. International Journal Of Education, Social Studies, And Management (IJESSM), 5(2), 628–636. https://doi.org/10.52121/ijessm.v5i2.743
Komala, I., Khairiyah, A., Tombi Layuk Tulak, J., & Azainil. (2024). The Transformation of Religious Values in the Digital Life of Adolescents. Adcances in Social Humanities Research, 2(12), 1359–1375.
McLeod, S. (2024). Phenomenology In Qualitative Research. In SimplyPsychology (pp. 1–15). https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.25457.90725
Messina, N. (2021). It’S There for You, But Is It #Fyp?: a Methodological Reflection of Researching Content Vs. Community on Tiktok. AoIR 2021: The 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers, 2014–2017. https://doi.org/10.5210/spir.v2021i0.11982
Morales, F., & Carbonell. (2021). On understanding people , structure , desires , and ourselves. Cinta de Moebio, 72, 183–193. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-554X2021000300183
Muhammad Munir, & Moh. Taufiq. (2024). Doomscrolling Spirituality On The Morality Of Islamic Students In Surabaya. IJIP : Indonesian Journal of Islamic Psychology, 6(2), 137–152. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijip.v6i2.2209
Nasution, S., Nur, K., Khairurrijal, & Pohan, A. J. (2025). Beyond the Mosque: Social Media as A New Frontier for Islamic Moral Education. Al Ulya: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 10(1), 81–102. https://doi.org/10.32665/alulya.v10i1.4137
Nuraeni, H. A., & Kurniasih, N. (2021). The Role of Social Media Da’wah in Improving Individual Piety during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Ilmu Dakwah: Academic Journal for Homiletic Studies, 15(2), 343–364. https://doi.org/10.15575/idajhs.v15i2.15734
Persichitte, K. A., & Suparman, A. (2016). Educational Technology to Improve Quality and Access on a Global Scale (M. Spector (Ed.); Issue Etwc). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66227-5
Priyatni, E. T., Surayani, A. W., Fachrunnisa, R., Supriyanto, A., & Zakaria, I. (2020). Pemanfaatan NVivo Dalam Penelitian Kualitatif. Pusat Pendidikan Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat (LP2M).
Sá, M. J., Serpa, S., Ferreira, C. M., & Santos, A. I. (2020). Social Media Centrality in Identity ( Re ) construction in Higher Education Sandro Serpa. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 10(1), 11–22. https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2020-0002
Sardi, A. N. (2021). Pemanfaatan Media Sosial Sebagai Kegiatan Kehumasan Perpustakaan Ipdn Jatinangor. Jurnal Teknologi Dan Komunikasi Pemerintahan, 3(2), 70–82. https://doi.org/10.33701/jtkp.v3i2.2312
Silva, J. Da, Da, F., Donny, C., & Made, M. (2025). Implementasi Metode Analisis Menggunakan Nvivo Dalam Penelitian Kualitatif. Akutansi’45: Jurnal Ilmiah Akutansi, 6(1), 522–530.
Siregar, E. A., Tullaili, M., & Afdal, Z. (2025). Social Media on Islamic Lifestyle Trends: A Systematic Literature Review. Indonesian Interdisciplinary Journal of Sharia Economics (IIJSE), 8(1), 2270–2286.
Situmorang, W. R., & Hayati, R. (2023). Social Media, Instagram, as a Form Self Validation and Representation. Jurnal Sosiologi Nusantara, 9(1), 111–120. https://doi.org///doi.org/10.33369/jsn.9.1.111-118
Suhaimi, Evadianti, Y., & Yudistiro, I. R. (2023). Instagram Sebagai New Media untuk Membangun Personal Branding. Journal Media Public Relations, 3(1), 53–63.
Ulum, M., & Fauzi, A. (2023). Behaviorism Theory and Its Implications for Learning. Joinme: Journal of Insan Mulia Education, 1(2), 53–57. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.59923/joinme.v1i2.41
Wirman, W., Yozani, R. E., Angela, S., & Surbakti, R. S. (2023). Study of communication phenomenology of Tiktok users who have experienced fear of missing out on behavior. Bricolage : Jurnal Magister Ilmu Komunikasi, 9(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.30813/bricolage.v9i1.3918
Yuwono, I. T. (2025). Islamic Religious Content on Instagram Reels: Between Education and Entertainment. Multiscience, December, 2022–2026.
Zaid, B., Fedtke, J., Shin, D. D., El Kadoussi, A., & Ibahrine, M. (2022). Digital Islam and Muslim Millennials: How Social Media Influencers Reimagine Religious Authority and Islamic Practices. Religions, 13(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13040335
Published
2025-12-14
