University youth engaging in religious interaction on social media: a case study of Siirt University

This study aims to examine the nature of religious interactions occurring on social media within the context of university youth, focusing on the case of Siirt University, in order to explore the impact of new forms of communication introduced by the digital age on religious life. Designed as a qualitative study, this research employed semi-structured interviews as its primary data collection method. Interviews were conducted with thirty-two participants, selected via the snowball sampling technique from undergraduate students at Siirt University, and analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings reveal that students use social media not only for obtaining religious information but also as a means of expressing their religious identity, maintaining religious practices, and interacting with individuals who share similar beliefs. The study addresses the multifaceted effects of social media on individuals' religious perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, drawing attention to both the innovations and disruptions brought about by digitalization in religious life. In this context, the role of social media platforms in the religious development of young individuals is evaluated within a framework that considers both opportunities and risks. The results indicate that digitalization signals a new paradigm in religious communication and provides a conceptual and methodological foundation for future research. The study also finds that participants mostly engage with religious content passively—preferring to follow rather than share or comment-while placing importance on the credibility of content sources and using social media both to express their individual religious identity and to access religious knowledge.