The TikTokization of Islamic Knowledge Transforming Religious Education and Digital Authority among Generation Z in Aceh
Keywords:
TikTokization, Islamic Knowledge, Micro-Islamic Education, Digital Communications Authority, Generation ZAbstract
This study examines the TikTokization of Islamic knowledge among Generation Z in Aceh, focusing on the transformation of TikTok from an entertainment platform into an alternative space for religious education and the reconstruction of religious authority in the digital era. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach involving 10-12 Generation Z informants in Aceh, including school students, university students, young workers, santri, and Islamic boarding school alumni. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews and digital observation, while secondary data were obtained through documentation of relevant TikTok content. The data were analyzed thematically through coding, categorization, comparison, and triangulation. The findings reveal that TikTok has transformed from a predominantly entertainment-oriented platform into an alternative source of Islamic knowledge. The short-form and algorithmically distributed nature of its content has also produced fragmented, personalized, and need-based patterns of religious learning, conceptualized in this study as Micro Islamic Education . Furthermore, religious authority is increasingly negotiated through the interaction between institutional scholarly legitimacy, digital popularity, audience engagement, and algorithmic visibility. This study is limited to Generation Z in Aceh and does not examine the long-term effects of TikTok based religious learning. The findings imply the need for Islamic educational institutions and religious actors to strengthen digital religious literacy and develop credible, contextual, and youth oriented content. The originality of this study lies in introducing the concepts of TikTokized Islamic Knowledge and Micro Islamic Education to explain the transformation of religious learning and authority within an algorithmic platform environment.
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