Investigating the Relationship Between the Use of Religious Content Published on Facebook and the Strengthening of Religiosity (A Case Study of Alberoni University)

This rapid growth of social media, particularly Facebook, has highlighted its role in transmitting religious teachings and influencing various dimensions of users' religiosity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the utilization of religious content published on Facebook and the reinforcement of religiosity dimensions among the faculty members, staff, and students of Al-Beroni University. Utilizing a dual framework of the "Uses and Gratifications Theory" and "Glock and Stark’s Dimensions of Religiosity," this study provides empirical evidence regarding the role of social media's religious content within the Afghan academic community. Methodologically, this study is applied in nature, descriptive-correlational in objective, and utilizes a survey approach for data collection. The statistical population comprised students, faculty, and staff of Al-Beroni University, from which a sample of 137 participants was determined using Cochran's formula and selected via simple random sampling. Data were gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire with a validity coefficient of 0.93 and a reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.88. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including Spearman’s correlation and regression analysis in SPSS version 26. The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between the utilization of Facebook's religious content and the ideological, ritualistic, experiential (emotional), and consequential (behavioral) dimensions of religiosity. Specifically, the regression analysis indicated coefficient values of 0.6 for the ideological dimension and 0.5 for the behavioral dimension. Furthermore, the regression model demonstrated that Facebook's religious content, particularly within the experiential dimension, significantly predicts variance in religiosity dimensions. Ultimately, it can be concluded that if Facebook produces and disseminates credible, scholarly content tailored to audience needs, it can serve as an effective tool for reinforcing religiosity, enhancing religious awareness, and promoting Islamic values among the academic community.