Religious Moderation Under the Pressure of Algorithmic Polarization Among Young Muslim Generations in Indonesia

Abstract

Although studies on digital religion and social media have grown substantially, research that specifically integrates algorithmic polarization with religious moderation practices among Indonesian Muslim youth remains limited. This study examines how algorithmic polarization on social media shapes the practice, understanding, and internalization of religious moderation among young Muslim generations in Indonesia. Using a qualitative netnographic approach developed by Kozinets, data were collected through digital observation, semi-structured interviews with 20 informants comprising young Muslims, Islamic content creators, and digital community members, as well as content documentation across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X. The findings reveal five interconnected dynamics: the decentralization of religious authority toward digital content creators driven by engagement metrics; the formation of religious echo chambers through behavior-based recommendation systems; the structural marginalization of moderate narratives within attention-driven platform logics; the emergence of digital religious literacy as a form of resistance against polarization; and the fluid yet algorithmically constrained negotiation of religious identity among young Muslims. While informants with stronger digital literacy demonstrate greater capacity to verify sources and contextualize religious messages, those with lower literacy remain vulnerable to fragmented and unverified content. The study concludes that religious moderation in the digital era is a sociotechnical phenomenon shaped by platform architecture, algorithmic mechanisms, and user literacy, requiring integrated religious, digital, and algorithmic literacies. These findings contribute theoretically to discourses on digital religion, algorithmic culture, and the mediatization of Islam, while offering practical implications for religious education and digital literacy policy in Muslim-majority societies.