The Level of Moral Comprehension and the Ethics of Social Media Use among Secondary School Students: A Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
The internalisation of Islamic moral values (akhlak) serves as a foundational pillar in shaping the identity and character of secondary school students, particularly when confronting rapid digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0). This systematic literature review aims to evaluate the level of moral comprehension regarding the ethics of social media use, identify significant influencing factors, and elaborate on the challenges and psychospiritual implications in strengthening digital morals among secondary school students. The research methodology adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) design guided by the PRISMA 2020 protocol to ensure transparency and reproducibility. A comprehensive search was executed across three primary databases: Scopus (n = 15), MyJurnal (n = 25), and Google Scholar (n = 25), yielding an initial total of 65 records published between 2020 and 2026. Following rigorous screening against predefined eligibility criteria and quality appraisal using the framework by Mullet et al. (2017), 20 high-quality empirical and review papers were selected for qualitative synthesis. The findings indicate that students’ digital moral comprehension demands urgent attention; virtual communication courtesy must be reinforced through the internalisation of malakah (deeply rooted inner character) and the consciousness of divine oversight (muraqabah). Dominant factors influencing this internalisation include role modeling (uswah hasanah) from teachers and parents, the effectiveness of social hisbah mechanisms, positive communication within the family ecosystem, and personal self-control. Conversely, primary challenges include the normalisation of digital hedonism, cyberbullying, deindividuation under online anonymity, information manipulation/digital slander, and a deficit in value-based digital literacy. In conclusion, a synergy between fortifying faith (akidah), active social monitoring, and guidance from teachers acting as contemporary murabbi is critical to cultivating digital users with high integrity.