New media's influence on transformation of conservatism and commoditization of religious values in Turkey in the context of consumerism

Today, the influence of internet technology in all aspects of life inevitably affects the religious life as well. In particular, the increasing number of social media platforms and their widespread use enhance, the visibility of the religious in digital media. However, apart from its socialization role, social media also plays an important part in realization of consumption, as it transforms everything into consumption objects within the framework of marketing. Thus, religious values also become objects of consumption and the most striking and visible form of commoditization can be observed in this specific field. Accordingly, social media with pretentious and hedonistic consumption, not only distances conservative individuals from their traditional values and beliefs as well as any other individuals from different backgrounds, but also it reconstructs individuals with modern codes as a result of the culture that social media implements. In this study, in order to determine this transformation, in-depth interviews with 50 people were conducted with semi-structured questions using qualitative method. Through these interviews this study, rather than the behavior and attitudes of individuals, examines the influence of social media on the changing mindset and the problem of the commoditization of religious values in digital media. The results obtained suggest that, social media has an influence on religious values and individual's pietism and has a transformative and reproductive power. With its focus and scope, this master's thesis will contribute to the sociology of religion studies conducted within the field of social media, religion and consumption concepts. KEYWORDS: Consumption, New Media, Conservatism, Religious Values, Commoditization