THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAM PREACHERS ON YOUTH THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

In the contemporary digital environment, social media has transformed into a central arena for the dissemination of information, ideological influence, and the construction of youth identity. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the influence of Islamic preachers on social media on the religious consciousness, behavioral attitudes, and value orientations of young people. The study's methodological framework relied on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods: media monitoring, comparative analysis, data classification, and an online survey among young users aged 18-20. Using the Alem Research analytical platform, religious content in traditional and digital media was monitored, enabling us to identify the most popular themes, audience engagement levels, and emotional reactions. The results demonstrate a significant increase in youth interest in Islamic religious content, particularly short videos, live streams, motivational messages, and Q&A sessions. The study concludes that Islamic preaching has a dual impact in the digital environment: on the one hand, it expands access to religious knowledge and fosters positive values, while on the other, it creates threats of disinformation and radicalization. The article emphasizes the need to improve media literacy, strengthen religious digital security, and actively engage official religious institutions online to ensure the authenticity and quality of religious content.