THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE ON STUDENTS' RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES AT STATE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1 PANYABUNGAN

Abstract

The development of social media has brought significant changes in the lives of students, including in the formation of religious attitudes. Social media not only functions as a means of communication and entertainment, but also has the potential to become an educational and spiritual medium if utilized positively. This study aims to determine the effect of social media use on the religious attitudes of students at SMA Negeri 1 Panyabungan. The study used a quantitative approach with a correlational method. The study population was 240 students in grades X and XI, with a sample of 85 students selected through a proportional random sampling technique. The research instruments were a questionnaire on social media use and a questionnaire on students' religious attitudes using a 5-point Likert scale that had been tested for validity and reliability. Data analysis was carried out using simple linear regression with the help of SPSS version 26. The results showed that social media use had a positive and significant effect on students' religious attitudes, as indicated by a regression coefficient value of 0.722 and a significance value of 0.000. The correlation coefficient of 0.734 indicates a strong relationship between the two variables, while the coefficient of determination of 65.4% indicates that social media use influences most of the variation in students' religious attitudes. These findings suggest that social media can play a supporting role in strengthening students' religious attitudes if used wisely and purposefully.