Religious Language on Social Media: Perspectives of Content Producers and Users

Abstract

Nowadays, when the distinction between the digital and physical worlds is becoming less and less clear, social media is becoming the most important platform to meet people's communication needs. People are increasingly using social media to access the information they need about their beliefs as well as many other issues. While some of those who produce religious content on social media continue to convey their messages using traditional religious language, some content producers produce content in accordance with the popular language of social media. In this study, the issue of how the religious language in social media should be addressed by referring to the opinions of both content producers and social media users. In the research conducted within the study, semi-structured interviews were made with 27 social media users and 5 content producers, and the collected data were analyzed by descriptive analysis method. According to the findings, the language that social media users and content producers should use when sharing religious content on social media should be consistent, sincere, away from financial expectations, concise, tolerant, aesthetic, appropriate to the language of youth and holistic. In addition, religious content should be away from prohibitive language and should not distort the essence of religious values for the sake of popularity.

Keywords

• sosyal medya
• dinî i̇letişim
• din dili
• religious language
• social media
• religious communication