The Power of Influence: Insights into Theology Students' Perceptions of Social Media Opinion Leadership

Abstract

Social media platforms have shaped individuals' thoughts and behaviors in today's digital age. Unlike traditional opinion leaders, virtual influencers gaining popularity on these platforms may influence opinions, attitudes, and ways of thinking. This study aims to contribute to the social sciences literature by offering a new perspective on the role of social media influencers. The research was conducted using a quantitative survey model commonly used in social sciences. Data were collected from theology students (N=466) at a public university in Türkiye. The participants were administered the "Social media influencers' opinion leadership scale in the eyes of followers". When comparing the data, a t-test was used between two groups, and one-way ANOVA was used to compare more than two groups. The Post Hoc Tukey test was used for further analysis in case of significant differences. The quantitative analysis revealed significant differences in trust, imitation, communication, and entertainment (p<0.05). The study concludes that social media influencers have the potential to share the roles traditionally held by opinion leaders, religious authorities, and educators, particularly within the dimensions investigated. This highlights the need for further exploration of their impact in these domains.

Keywords

• Education and Training
• Religious Education
• Opinion Leadership
• Social Media Influencers

Etkilemenin Gücü: İlahiyat Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin Sosyal Medya Fenomenleri Kanaat Önderliği Algılarına Yönelik Bir İçgörü

Abstract

Günümüz dijital çağında sosyal medya platformları bireylerin düşüncelerini ve davranışlarını şekillendiren önemli etkenler haline gelmiştir. Geleneksel kanaat önderliğinden farklı olarak bu platformlarda popülerlik kazanan sanal etkileyiciler; kanaatleri, tutumları ve düşünme biçimlerini yönlendirebilmektedir. Bu çalışma, sosyal bilimler literatürüne katkı sağlamayı hedeflemekte ve sosyal medya fenomenlerinin rolünü anlamak için yeni bir perspektif sunmaktadır. Araştırma, sosyal bilimlerde yaygın olan nicel tarama modeli kullanılarak tasarlanmıştır. Veriler, Türkiye’de bir devlet üniversitesinde ilahiyat eğitimi alan öğrencilerden (N=466) elde edilmiştir. Katılımcılara “Takipçiler nezdinde sosyal medya fenomenleri kanaat önderliği ölçeği” uygulanmıştır. Verilerin karşılaştırılmasında iki gruplu değişkenlerde t testi, ikiden fazla grup olduğu takdirde one-way Anova işe koşulmuştur. Anlamlı farklılıklara ilişkin ileri analizler için ise Post Hoc Tukey uygulanmıştır. Analizler sonucunda güven, taklit, iletişim ve eğlence boyutlarında anlamlı farklılıklar tespit edilmiştir (p<0.05). Çalışma sonucunda sosyal medya fenomenlerinin araştırmadaki boyutlar itibariyle kanaat önderlerinin, dini otoritelerin ve öğreticilerin rolünü paylaşma potansiyeline sahip olduğu ifade edilmiştir. Bu durum bahsedilen alanlardaki etkilerin açığa çıkarılması için daha fazla araştırmaya ihtiyaç duyulduğuna işaret etmektedir.

Keywords

• Eğitim ve Öğretim
• Din Eğitimi
• Kanaat Önderliği
• Sosyal Medya Fenomenleri

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