The effect of social media on the religious identity of the youth of İmam Hatip

During adolescence, the individual's ask the question, "who am I?" It is a critical process in which he/she gains identity by asking themselves the question. In this process, the individuals experience an identity confusion and identity crisis which contributes to their development. Religion, which is effective in every aspect of an individual's life, also shapes the identity of the individual. Many factors are effective in the formation of the religious identities of the Imam Hatip youth, who come to the fore with their religious identities, as well as the social media that young people use heavily. Social media, which has entered our lives with Web 2.0 technology, has become an indispensable element in the lives of individuals, especially adolescents. For this reason, in this study, the use of social media by Imam Hatip youth and the effect of social media on their religious identities were examined. The sample group of our study consists of 30 students from Sultan Kubeys Girls Imam Hatip High School and Kovancılar Anatolian Imam Hatip High School. Semi-structured interview technique was used by using qualitative research method. Pre-prepared questions were recorded with additional questions asked during the interview and data was then obtained. The reported data was analysed by content analysis and tabulated with frequency values and percentages. The thesis study was concluded with the interpretations of the tables, conclusions and suggestions. In the study, it has been seen that Imam Hatip High Schools and the family have a great place in the formation of the religious identities of the Imam Hatip youth. Young people who use social media effectively are also affected by social media, but this effect on religious issues is not as big as Imam Hatip High School and family.