Digital Ethno-Religious Determinants of Santri Religious Behavior: Technology Attitudes as a Mediator and Pesantren Culture as a Moderator
Keywords:
Islamic Digital Literacy, Digital Religious Identity, Attitudes toward Technology, Pesantren Culture, Religious BehaviorAbstract
This study investigates the extent to which Islamic digital literacy (IDL) and digital religious identity (DRI) shape the religious behavior of santri (Islamic boarding school students). Growing digital exposure within pesantren settings necessitates a rigorous empirical examination of how digital competencies and online identity expressions interact with institutional culture to produce observable religious conduct. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional design and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4, the study analyzed data from 100 Madrasah Aliyah students enrolled in both salaf and modern pesantren in Kudus, Indonesia. The findings confirm that IDL and DRI significantly predict santri religious behavior both through direct pathways and indirectly via attitudes toward technology, which functions as a cognitive-affective mediator. Pesantren culture emerged as a significant positive moderator, amplifying the behavioral influence of technology attitudes within institutionally embedded settings. The study introduces the Digital Ethno-Religious Model, an integrated framework that synthesizes digital literacy theory, identity formation, behavioral science, and Islamic epistemology. Practical implications are proposed for designing culturally grounded digital literacy curricula and reinforcing the supervisory role of ustadz in facilitating responsible digital engagement among santri.
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