Young Instagram Users and Religious Identity

The present research aims to examine how the dimensions and components of religious identity are represented in the content shared by teenagers about themselves and their media bodies on the social network Instagram.

This study employs Barthes' semiotic method to analyze selected content from 35 Instagram pages belonging to teenagers, sampling posts, highlights, and stories from each page. 

According to the findings, content related to the emotional aspect of religious identity has a direct relationship with Shia rituals. In the cognitive aspect of religious identity—related to the beliefs and convictions of teenage users—both trans-religious and intra-religious approaches coexist simultaneously, although deep understanding derived from reflection and reasoning is less frequently observed. However, the value aspect of religious identity is weakened due to the repetition of images and videos featuring non-Hijab or revealing attire, as well as unconventional poses, movements, and behaviors, particularly among teenage girls.

Based on the results, Instagram teenagers selectively adopt certain religious components while discarding others, indicating a form of selective religiosity among them. Furthermore, the connection between religious identity and self-presentation illustrates the "performative nature of religion" among teenage users on Instagram.