Main Article Content

Abstract

This study investigated the factors influencing motivations for using religious digital media (RDMUM) among 330 Jordanian university students through hierarchical regression analysis. The analysis revealed that demographic factors, particularly age and gender, significantly predicted motivation, with younger individuals and males showing higher engagement. Educational level, explicitly having a BA degree, also influences motivation, whereas university location and specialization do not have significant effects. The type of digital media used (websites, social media, podcasts) does not significantly impact motivation, although a negative association with Twitter suggests that platform-specific characteristics may affect engagement. Prior knowledge and specific interests in Islamic thought, faith, and jurisprudential topics are strong motivators that highlight the importance of content relevance and depth. The final model, which explains 49% of the variance in the RDMUM, underscores the robust explanatory power of the included variables. These findings emphasize the need for tailored content to address user interests and knowledge levels. Content creators and practitioners can leverage these insights to develop more engaging and effective religious digital media, ultimately enhancing users’ engagement and satisfaction. Moreover, this study's potential to inspire and guide future research in this field is significant and contributes to the academic community's understanding of religious digital media.

Keywords

Digital Media Islamic Websites Jordanian University Students Motivations Social Media

Article Details

How to Cite
Thalgi , M. J. . (2024). Motivations for Using Religious Digital Media: A Hierarchical Regression Analysis Among Jordanian University Students. Millah: Journal of Religious Studies, 23(2), 877–912. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol23.iss2.art12

References

  1. Abdel-Salhein, Y. (2018). State-society relations in digital fatwas: A study of Islamweb in Qatar [Master’s thesis, Hamad Bin Khalifa University]. https://researchportal.hbku.edu.qa/en/studentTheses/state-society-relations-in-digital-fatwas-a-study-of-islamweb-in-

  2. Al Shogran, R., Al-Duwairi, D. R. F. S., & Obaidat, D. M. Z. (2024). The role of Islamic media in reducing the phenomenon of electronic addiction from the point of view of students of media faculties in Jordanian universities. Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología Del Ejercicio y El Deporte, 19(2), 132–140. https://www.riped-online.com/articles/the-role-of-islamic-media-in-reducing-the-phenomenon-of-electronic-addiction-from-the-point-of-view-of-students-of-media-faculties-105896.html

  3. Al-Amer, S. A. S., Alessa, M. S. A., Khan, R. H. S., & Mohammed, S. A.-K. I. (2023). The role of social media platforms in confronting intellectual extremism from Majmaah University students perspective. Information Sciences Letters, 12(6), 2249–2259. https://doi.org/10.18576/isl/120605

  4. Alfaize, N. A. (2015). The impact of culture and religion on digital forensics: The study of the role of digital evidence in the legal process in Saudi Arabia [Doctoral thesis, De Montfort University]. http://hdl.handle.net/2086/13124

  5. Aliyu, M., Mahmud, M., & Tap, A. O. M. (2013). Features influencing Islamic websites use: A Muslim user perspective. Intellectual Discourse, 21(1), 33–54. https://doi.org/10.31436/id.v21i1.367

  6. Al-Khalidi, I. K. S. (2021). The effect of YouTube and Facebook networks in reducing religious extremism among Jordanian youth from the viewpoint of the mosques imams. Multicultural Education, 7(4), 342–360. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.4728058

  7. Al-Khataibeh, Y. D. (2019). Social media-extremism ideas as an intellectual security threat: A case study of Jordanian university undergraduates. Dirassat Insaniya Wa Ijtimaiya, 8(2), 439–460. https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/97302

  8. AlKhudari, M. N., Abduljabbar, O. J., Al Manaseer, A. M., & AL-Omari, M. S. (2024). The role of social media in shaping public opinion among Jordanian university students. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(8), 5489. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i8.5489

  9. Al-Menayes, J. (2015). Motivations for using social media: An exploratory factor analysis. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 7(1), 43–50. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijps.v7n1p43

  10. Al-Mosa, N. A. (2015). Role of social networks in developing religious and social values of the students of the World Islamic Sciences & Education University. International Education Studies, 8(9), 126–137. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v8n9p126

  11. Alserhan, F., & Elareshi, M. (2020). University students’ awareness of social media use and hate speech in Jordan. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 13(2), 548–563. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3709236

  12. Aly, A., & Thoyibi, M. (2020). Violence in online media and its implication to Islamic education of Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 10(1), 177–198. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v10i1.177-198

  13. Arriagada, A., & Ibáñez, F. (2020). “You need at least one picture daily, if not, you’re dead”: Content creators and platform evolution in the social media ecology. Social Media + Society, 6(3), 2056305120944624. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120944624

  14. Azadarmaki, T., & Moaddel, M. (2002). The worldviews of Islamic publics: The cases of Egypt, Iran, and Jordan. Comparative Sociology, 1(3–4), 299–319. https://doi.org/10.1163/156913302100418619

  15. Beckham, C. L. (2023). Rethinking connection: Spirituality, social media, and crisis of faith in young adult [Doctoral thesis, Liberty University]. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4482

  16. Bonett, D. G., & Wright, T. A. (2015). Cronbach’s alpha reliability: Interval estimation, hypothesis testing, and sample size planning. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1960

  17. Braizat, F., Speckhard, A., Shajkovci, A., & Sabaileh, A. (2017). Determining youth radicalization in Jordan (ICSVE Research Reports). International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321185046_Determining_Youth_Radicalization_in_Jordan

  18. Buzeta, C., De Pelsmacker, P., & Dens, N. (2020). Motivations to use different social media types and their impact on consumers’ online brand-related activities (COBRAs). Journal of Interactive Marketing, 52(1), 79–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.04.004

  19. Cantwell, C. D., & Rashid, H. (2015). Religion, media, and the digital turn [A Report for the Religion and the Public Sphere Program]. Social Science Research Council. https://www.ssrc.org/publications/religion-media-and-the-digital-turn/

  20. Chan, N. K. (2021). Political inequality in the digital world: The puzzle of Asian American political participation online. Political Research Quarterly, 74(4), 882–898. https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912920945391

  21. Cheong, P. H., Poon, J. P. H., Huang, S., & Casas, I. (2009). The Internet highway and religious communities: Mapping and contesting spaces in religion-online. The Information Society, 25(5), 291–302. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972240903212466

  22. Devriendt, E., Van Den Heede, K., Coussement, J., Dejaeger, E., Surmont, K., Heylen, D., Schwendimann, R., Sexton, B., Wellens, N. I. H., Boonen, S., & Milisen, K. (2012). Content validity and internal consistency of the Dutch translation of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire: An observational study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(3), 327–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.10.002

  23. Drummond, C., O’Toole, T., & McGrath, H. (2020). Digital engagement strategies and tactics in social media marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 54(6), 1247–1280. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0183

  24. Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168

  25. Eveland, W. P., & Scheufele, D. A. (2000). Connecting news media use with gaps in knowledge and participation. Political Communication, 17(3), 215–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/105846000414250

  26. Flew, T. (2018). Understanding global media (Second edition). Palgrave Macmillan Education.

  27. Fuente-Cobo, C., Gutiérrez-de-Cabiedes, L., & Visiers Elizaincin, A. (2023). Using YouTube as a digital pulpit. The most influential Catholic youtubers in Spanish speaking countries: Who they are and how they communicate. Church, Communication and Culture, 8(1), 59–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/23753234.2023.2174889

  28. Golan, O. (2023). Introduction: Digital youth and religion. Religions, 14(6), 704. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060704

  29. Gupta, S., & Dutt, R. (2024). Identifying consumer-based digital content marketing consumption motives: A qualitative study. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 21(4), 584–604. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-08-2023-0218

  30. Gutkowski, S. (2016). We are the very model of a moderate Muslim state: The Amman Messages and Jordan’s foreign policy. International Relations, 30(2), 206–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047117815598352

  31. Helland, C. (2005). Online religion as lived religion: Methodological issues in the study of religious participation on the Internet. Online - Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet, 1(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.11588/REL.2005.1.380

  32. Hess, M. E. (2023). Youth, education, and media. In Y. Cohen & P. A. Soukup (Eds.), The handbook on religion and communication (pp. 257–269). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119671619.ch17

  33. Hoang, L., Blank, G., & Quan-Haase, A. (2020). The winners and the losers of the platform economy: Who participates? Information, Communication & Society, 23(5), 681–700. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1720771

  34. Hysa, B., Karasek, A., & Zdonek, I. (2021). Social media usage by different generations as a tool for sustainable tourism marketing in Society 5.0 idea. Sustainability, 13(3), 1018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031018

  35. Ilin, V. (2022). The role of user preferences in engagement with online learning. E-Learning and Digital Media, 19(2), 189–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530211035514

  36. İslam, M. T. (2019). The impact of social media on Muslim society: Ffrom Islamic perspective. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(3), 95–114. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338533726_THE_IMPACT_OF_SOCIAL_MEDIA_ON_MUSLIM_SOCIETY_FROM_ISLAMIC_PERSPECTIVE

  37. Jeger, M., Sušanj, Z., & Mijoč, J. (2014). Entrepreneurial intention modeling using hierarchical multiple regression. Croatian Operational Research Review, 5(2), 361–373. https://doi.org/10.17535/crorr.2014.0019

  38. Jensen, K. B. (2020). The cultural contexts of media and communication. In K. B. Jensen (Ed.), A handbook of media and communication research: Qualitative and quantitative methodologies (3rd edition, pp. 213–231). Routledge.

  39. Juliansyahzen, M. I. (2023). Ideologization of hijrah in social media: Digital activism, religious commodification, and conservative domination. Millah: Journal of Religious Studies, 22(1), 155–180. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol22.iss1.art6

  40. Kaskeleviciute, R., Knupfer, H., & Matthes, J. (2023). See something, say something? The role of online self-disclosure on fear of terror among young social media users. New Media & Society, 146144482211489. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221148982

  41. Kircaburun, K., Alhabash, S., Tosuntaş, Ş. B., & Griffiths, M. D. (2020). Uses and gratifications of problematic social media use among university students: A simultaneous examination of the big five of personality traits, social media platforms, and social media use motives. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 18(3), 525–547. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-9940-6

  42. Klein, C. (2023). Understanding the relevance of digital media in higher education. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science, 7(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.451

  43. Lam, J. M. S., Ismail, H., & Lee, S. (2020). From desktop to destination: User-generated content platforms, co-created online experiences, destination image and satisfaction. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 18, 100490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2020.100490

  44. Latt, S. S., & Tun Aung, M. A. S. @ U. (2017). Internet usage from Islamic perspective: A preliminary survey with first year medical students, Kuantan campus, Pahang 2015. International Journal on Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing and Communication, 5(2), 207–213. https://doi.org/10.17762/ijritcc.v5i2.200

  45. Leppink, J., & Pérez-Fuster, P. (2017). We need more replication research – A case for test-retest reliability. Perspectives on Medical Education, 6(3), 158–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40037-017-0347-Z

  46. Lissitsa, S., & Laor, T. (2021). Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y: Identifying generational differences in effects of personality traits in on-demand radio use. Technology in Society, 64, 101526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101526

  47. Maqableh, J. (2023). Islamic philanthropy in Jordan. In S. Siddiqui & D. Campbell (Eds.), Philanthropy in the Muslim world (pp. 101–118). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035306572.00014

  48. Moberg, M., Kheir, S., & Gökce, H. E. (2020). Religion and Internet use among young adult Muslims in Israel and Turkey: Exploring issues of trust and religious authority. Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture, 9(3), 347–367. https://doi.org/10.1163/21659214-BJA10015

  49. Mohiuddin, A. (2023). Islamism in the digital age: The role of cyberspace in transforming religious authority. In A. Mohiuddin, Navigating religious authority in Muslim societies (pp. 203–236). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44825-6_6

  50. Moran, G., Muzellec, L., & Johnson, D. (2020). Message content features and social media engagement: Evidence from the media industry. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(5), 533–545. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2018-2014

  51. Munnik, M. B. (2023). Islamic state: The political challenge of naming. In S. Al-Azami (Ed.), Media language on Islam and Muslims (pp. 107–127). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37462-3_6

  52. Ng, Y. M. M. (2023). Twitter intermittent and permanent discontinuance: A multi-method approach to study innovation diffusion. Computers in Human Behavior, 138, 107482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107482

  53. Qin, Y. S. (2020). Fostering brand–consumer interactions in social media: The role of social media uses and gratifications. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 14(3), 337–354. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-08-2019-0138

  54. Salonen, A., Mero, J., Munnukka, J., Zimmer, M., & Karjaluoto, H. (2024). Digital content marketing on social media along the B2B customer journey: The effect of timely content delivery on customer engagement. Industrial Marketing Management, 118, 12–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.02.002

  55. Scarcelli, C. M., Krijnen, T., & Nixon, P. (2021). Sexuality, gender, media. Identity articulations in the contemporary media landscape. Information, Communication & Society, 24(8), 1063–1072. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1804603

  56. Shahbaznezhad, H., Dolan, R., & Rashidirad, M. (2021). The role of social media content format and platform in users’ engagement behavior. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 53(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.05.001

  57. Slama, M. (2018). Practising Islam through social media in Indonesia. Indonesia and the Malay World, 46(134), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2018.1416798

  58. Solahudin, D., & Fakhruroji, M. (2019). Internet and Islamic learning practices in Indonesia: Social media, religious populism, and religious authority. Religions, 11(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11010019

  59. Sule, M. M., & Sulaiman, Y. (2021). Enhancing da’wah and spread of knowledge via social media platforms. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 9(1), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v9i1.549

  60. Szymkowiak, A., Melović, B., Dabić, M., Jeganathan, K., & Kundi, G. S. (2021). Information technology and Gen Z: The role of teachers, the internet, and technology in the education of young people. Technology in Society, 65, 101565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101565

  61. Tessler, M. (2020). Religious minorities in non-secular Middle Eastern and North African states. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19843-5

  62. Turner, B. S. (2007). Religious authority and the new media. Theory, Culture & Society, 24(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276407075001

  63. Van Laar, C., Van Rossum, A., Kosakowska-Berezecka, N., Bongiorno, R., & Block, K. (2024). MANdatory—Why men need (and are needed for) gender equality progress. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1263313. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1263313

  64. Wang, J. (2024). Networked Islamic counterpublic in China: Digital media and Chinese Muslims during global pandemic of COVID-19. New Media & Society, 26(6), 3068–3087. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221095437

  65. Warren, D. (2015). Debating the renewal of Islamic jurisprudence (tajdid al-fiqh): Yusuf al-Qaradawi, his interlocutors, and the articulation, transmission and reconstruction of the fiqh tradition in the Qatar-context [Doctoral thesis, The University of Manchester]. https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/debating-the-renewal-of-islamic-jurisprudence-tajdid-al-fiqh-yusu

  66. Waymer, D., & VanSlette, S. (2021). Religion matters: Explicating religion’s underexamined role in corporate social advocacy (CSA) conceptualization and research. Journal of Public Relations Research, 33(4), 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2021.2018694

  67. Wider, W., Tanucan, J. C. M., Wu, X., Mutua, C., Pang, N. T. P., Ling, G. H. T., & Cheisviyanny, C. (2023). The role of demographic factors on religious beliefs: Evidence from five countries. F1000Research, 12, 372. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.131998.1

  68. Wiktorowicz, Q. (2001). The management of Islamic activism: Salafis, the Muslim Brotherhood, and state power in Jordan. State University of New York Press.

  69. Wilson, J. A. J., & Ayad, N. I. A. (2022). Religiosity and Egyptian Muslim millennials’ views on offensive advertising. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(12), 2759–2777. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-05-2021-0171

  70. Woltman, H., Feldstain, A., MacKay, J. C., & Rocchi, M. (2012). An introduction to hierarchical linear modeling. Tutorials in Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 8(1), 52–69. https://doi.org/10.20982/tqmp.08.1.p052

  71. Workman, M. (2014). New media and the changing face of information technology use: The importance of task pursuit, social influence, and experience. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.10.008

  72. Zayer, L. T., Sredl, K., Parmentier, M.-A., & Coleman, C. (2012). Consumption and gender identity in popular media: Discourses of domesticity, authenticity, and sexuality. Consumption Markets & Culture, 15(4), 333–357. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2012.659437

Young Muslim Clicktivism and Religious Local Tradition Discourse in Banten and Yogyakarta

Ade Fakih Kurniawan, Arif Rahman, Mukhsin Achmad, Fahmi Rizki Fahroji
Abstract View : 388
Download :176