#MARRIAGEISSCARY: EMPOWERING STUDENTS THROUGH MULTIDISCIPLINARY LITERACY AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35194/iconnects.v3i1.6043Abstract
The rapid proliferation of the #MarriageIsScary trend on social media has constructed a new, daunting narrative regarding marital life, leading to increased premarital anxiety among Gen Z students. This research explores how university students perceive the discourse of marriage amidst the influx of digital information and how Islamic Religious Education (IRE) addresses this phenomenon. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten students from diverse majors at a prominent state university in Indonesia. The findings reveal a spectrum of responses: while some students utilize the trend as a reflective tool for self-improvement, others exhibit significant avoidance behaviours, including delaying marriage or choosing a childfree lifestyle. Critically, the study finds a significant gap in classroom delivery; most students reported that the IRE curriculum as taught to them often struggled to address contemporary marital crises due to various pedagogical and administrative constraints. This paper argues for a multidisciplinary shift in IRE, integrating critical media literacy to empower students in deconstructing digital discourses and fostering mental readiness for family life. By collaborating with marriage counsellors and adopting a critical pedagogical approach, IRE can better equip students to navigate multicultural digital narratives in the modern eraReferences
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Sari, D. A., & Musyafaah, N. L. (2025). “Marriage is Scary” on TikTok: Maq??id al-Shar?’ah’s Analysis of the Fear of Marriage in the Digital Era. Ma’mal: Jurnal Laboratorium Syariah Dan Hukum, 7(2), 132–164. https://doi.org/10.15642/mal.v7i2.466
Shahrzadi, L., Mansouri, A., Alavi, M., & Shabani, A. (2024a). Causes, consequences, and strategies to deal with information overload: A scoping review. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjimei.2024.100261
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Sulfinadia, H., Jurna Petri Roszi, Mega Puspita, A’zizil Fadli, & A’inil Fadli. (2025). The Phenomenon Marriage is Scary: Causal Factors and Efforts Faced by Muslim Communities in Indonesia. Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam, 10(1), 355–377. https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v10i1.12414
Tirta, K. D., & Arifin, S. N. (2025). Studi Fenomenologi?: Marriage is Scary pada Generasi Z. TERAPUTIK: Jurnal Bimbingan Dan Konseling, 8(3), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.26539/teraputik.833675
Weng, C., Puspitasari, D., Rathinasabapathi, A., & Kuo, A. (2022). Reflective learning as an important key to the success of an online course. Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(15), 3382–3398. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1988145
Wettstein, F., & Baur, D. (2016). “Why Should We Care about Marriage Equality?”: Political Advocacy as a Part of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 138(2), 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2631-3
Yung, K. W.-H. (2021). Shadow education as a form of oppression: conceptualizing experiences and reflections of secondary students in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(1), 115–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1727855
Bezio, K. L. (2023). How to Subvert the Banking Concept of Education in Neoliberal Times. Pedagogy, 23(2), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.1215/15314200-10295955
Boyd, E. M., & Fales, A. W. (1983). Reflective Learning. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 23(2), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167883232011
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Dawood, S. (2024). Islamic Law and Gender Equality: Challenges and Reforms in Sri Lanka’s Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act. Journal of Islamic Law, 5(2), 288–305. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v5i2.2833
Eurostat. (2025). Marriage and Divorce Statistics. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/
Firmansyah, M. I. (2019). Pendidikan Agama Islam Pengertian Tujuan Dasar Dan Fungsi. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam -Ta’lim, 17(2), 79–90. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17509/tk.v17i2.43562
Graf, B., & Antoni, C. H. (2023). Drowning in the flood of information: a meta-analysis on the relation between information overload, behaviour, experience, and health and moderating factors. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 32(2), 173–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2022.2118051
Herre, B., Samborska, V., Ortiz-Ospina, E., & Roser, M. (2020). Marriages and Divorces. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/marriages-and-divorces
Jannah, S., Muslim, M., & Irrohmah, H. A. (2025). Counseling on Early Marriage Prevention Through Digital Literacy-Based Self-Awareness. RESWARA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 6(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.46576/rjpkm.v6i1.4893
Kaeophanuek, S., Na-Songkhla, J., & Nilsook, P. (2019). A Learning Process Model to Enhance Digital Literacy using Critical Inquiry through Digital Storytelling (CIDST). International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (IJET), 14(03), 22. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v14i03.8326
Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2005). Toward Critical Media Literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 26(3), 369–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596300500200169
Lestari, M., Aimma, S. L., Cahyadi, S. F., Putri, K. A. L. L., & Mustofa, M. M. (2024). Bagaimana Fenomena ‘Marriage is Scary’ dalam Pandangan Perempuan Generasi Z? Jurnal Bimbingan Dan Konseling Ar-Rahman, 10(2), 278. https://doi.org/10.31602/jbkr.v10i2.17187
Martins da Silva, D. (2025). The Role of Digital Media in Disseminating Early Marriage Literacy: A Case Study in Timor-Leste - Indonesia Border Region. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. https://doi.org/10.30845/ijhss.vol15p32
Mesquita-Romero, W.-A., Fernández-Morante, C., & Cebreiro-López, B. (2022). Critical media literacy to improve students’ competencies. Comunicar, 30(70), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.3916/C70-2022-04
MetroTV. (2025). Marriage is Scary Ramai Diperbincangkan di Media Sosial. Metrotvnews.Com. https://www.metrotvnews.com/play/ba4CzxaL-marriage-is-scary-ramai-diperbincangkan-di-media-sosial
Nurmala, E. Y. I., Mahmudah, Hargono, A., Fithri, A. N., & Hanifah, D. (2024). Mental health literacy of prospective brides in marriage preparedness: Scoping review. African Journal of Reproductive Health , 28(10), 508–520. https://doi.org/10.29063/ajrh2024/v28i10s.51
OECD. (2024). Society at a Glance 2024. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/918d8db3-en
OECD Korea Policy Center. (2024). (2022-2023) Family Database in the Asia-Pacific Region. https://oecdkorea.org/eng/product/familyDatabase_view.asp?BRDNUM=1985
Riswandi, R., Surahman, C., & Nugraha, R. H. (2025). Analisis Perspektif Mahasiswa Muslim Gen-Z terhadap Isu Marriage Is Scary. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran Indonesia (JPPI), 5(1), 10–25. https://doi.org/10.53299/jppi.v5i1.893
Sampurna, A., Ritonga, H. J., & Matondang, A. R. (2024). Integration of Media Literacy in Religious Counseling for Preventing Early Marriage in Nias Barat. International Journal of Islamic Education, Research and Multiculturalism (IJIERM), 6(3), 1205–1218. https://doi.org/10.47006/ijierm.v6i3.392
Sari, D. A., & Musyafaah, N. L. (2025). “Marriage is Scary” on TikTok: Maq??id al-Shar?’ah’s Analysis of the Fear of Marriage in the Digital Era. Ma’mal: Jurnal Laboratorium Syariah Dan Hukum, 7(2), 132–164. https://doi.org/10.15642/mal.v7i2.466
Shahrzadi, L., Mansouri, A., Alavi, M., & Shabani, A. (2024a). Causes, consequences, and strategies to deal with information overload: A scoping review. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjimei.2024.100261
Shahrzadi, L., Mansouri, A., Alavi, M., & Shabani, A. (2024b). Causes, consequences, and strategies to deal with information overload: A scoping review. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 4(2), 100261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjimei.2024.100261
Sulfinadia, H., Jurna Petri Roszi, Mega Puspita, A’zizil Fadli, & A’inil Fadli. (2025). The Phenomenon Marriage is Scary: Causal Factors and Efforts Faced by Muslim Communities in Indonesia. Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam, 10(1), 355–377. https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v10i1.12414
Tirta, K. D., & Arifin, S. N. (2025). Studi Fenomenologi?: Marriage is Scary pada Generasi Z. TERAPUTIK: Jurnal Bimbingan Dan Konseling, 8(3), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.26539/teraputik.833675
Weng, C., Puspitasari, D., Rathinasabapathi, A., & Kuo, A. (2022). Reflective learning as an important key to the success of an online course. Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(15), 3382–3398. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1988145
Wettstein, F., & Baur, D. (2016). “Why Should We Care about Marriage Equality?”: Political Advocacy as a Part of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 138(2), 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2631-3
Yung, K. W.-H. (2021). Shadow education as a form of oppression: conceptualizing experiences and reflections of secondary students in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(1), 115–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1727855
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2026-02-20
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