DIGITAL LIFESTYLE PRESSURES AND THE RESILIENCE OF RELIGIOUS VALUES IN FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING IN DIGITAL ERA

Abstract

The digital era has generated unprecedented lifestyle pressures that increasingly shape individual financial decision making. Constant exposure to social media platforms, online marketplaces, and algorithm-driven advertising has amplified consumer aspirations, normalized instant gratification, and blurred the distinction between genuine needs and socially constructed desires. Within this environment, individuals are frequently encouraged to equate consumption with identity, success, and social belonging. This study examines how digital lifestyle pressures influence financial decision making and investigates the extent to which religious values function as resilience mechanisms in responding to these pressures. Using a qualitative-dominant mixed-method approach, data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews involving young adults, parents, and educators in Indonesia. The findings reveal that digital lifestyle pressures often lead to impulsive spending behavior, increased reliance on consumer credit, and consumption patterns driven by social comparison. The pervasive visibility of curated lifestyles online intensifies financial stress and weakens long-term financial planning, particularly among younger generations. However, the study also finds that individuals with a strong internalization of religious values tend to demonstrate higher levels of financial self-control, ethical awareness, and future-oriented decision making. Religious values operate not merely as external moral prescriptions but as internalized frameworks that regulate emotions, restrain excessive desire, and encourage moderation and responsibility. In this sense, religious commitment functions as a moral filter that mediates digital temptations and promotes conscious financial choices. This study contributes to existing scholarship by positioning religious values as adaptive ethical resources that strengthen financial resilience and ethical awareness within the complex landscape of contemporary digital consumer culture.