Digital Religious Literacy As A Strategy For Preventing Radicalism Among Students at SMA Negeri 2 Toboali

Abstract

Students increasingly encounter digital religious content mixed with misinformation, intolerance, hate speech, and violent narratives, creating serious challenges for schools seeking to strengthen responsible religious understanding. Previous studies have generally examined digital literacy, religious moderation, and radicalism prevention separately, while limited attention has been given to how these dimensions interact among secondary school students outside major urban areas. This qualitative case study involved 14 informants, comprising school leaders, teachers, a Rohis supervisor, and students at SMA Negeri 2 Toboali. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation and analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that digital religious literacy was integrated into Islamic Religious Education, student development programs, counseling, and Rohis activities. These practices encouraged students to verify sources, examine context, regulate responses, and consider the ethical consequences of sharing religious content, thereby strengthening resilience to radical narratives. The study implies that schools need content-verification guidelines, continuous teacher development, accessible consultation mechanisms, and meaningful student participation in producing moderate, credible, and contextually appropriate religious messages for diverse digital audiences in schools.