The Transformation of Character Education in the Digital Era: Strengthening Integrity and Responsibility Among Gen Z

Alia Damayanti, Universitas Pamulang, Susi Susanti, Universitas Pamulang, Pintau Jul Pilih Niet Hia, Universitas Pamulang, Sarfiah Nurhayati, Universitas Pamulang
Received: 2026-09-03
Accepted: 2026-10-17
Published: 2026-11-07

Abstract


Abstract: Massive digitalization has reshaped the socialization space in which Generation Z internalizes values, so that character education no longer occurs solely within the family and school but increasingly within a loosely supervised digital environment. This shift raises two pressing concerns: eroding integrity, ranging from plagiarism to the unregulated use of generative artificial intelligence, and weak awareness of digital civic responsibility. This article presents a narrative review of recent literature to map the transformation of character education in the digital era and to formulate directions for strengthening the integrity and civic responsibility of Generation Z. The review synthesizes national and international journal articles published between 2011-2026 through thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged: (1) the shifting locus of character formation from offline settings toward a hybrid digital ecosystem; (2) threats to academic and personal integrity driven by frictionless access to information and artificial intelligence technologies; and (3) the urgency of digital citizenship as an extension of conventional citizenship. The review concludes that strengthening Generation Z's character requires integrating classical character-education frameworks with digital citizenship frameworks through sustained collaboration among families, schools, and digital-literacy policy.

Keywords: Character Education, Integrity, Digital Citizenship, Generation Z, Digital Literacy

Abstrak: Digitalisasi yang masif telah mengubah ruang sosialisasi nilai bagi Generasi Z, sehingga pendidikan karakter tidak lagi berlangsung semata di keluarga dan sekolah, melainkan juga di ruang digital yang minim pengawasan. Kondisi ini memunculkan dua persoalan mendesak, yaitu melemahnya integritas (mulai dari plagiarisme hingga penyalahgunaan kecerdasan buatan generatif) dan rendahnya kesadaran tanggung jawab kewarganegaraan digital. Artikel ini bertujuan menyusun kajian naratif atas literatur terkini untuk memetakan transformasi pendidikan karakter di era digital serta merumuskan arah penguatan integritas dan tanggung jawab kewarganegaraan Generasi Z. Kajian menggunakan pendekatan narrative review terhadap artikel jurnal nasional dan internasional periode 2011-2026 yang dianalisis secara tematik. Hasil kajian mengidentifikasi tiga tema utama: (1) pergeseran ruang pembentukan karakter dari lingkungan luring menuju ekosistem digital yang hibrida; (2) ancaman terhadap integritas akademik dan personal akibat kemudahan akses informasi serta teknologi kecerdasan buatan; dan (3) urgensi kewarganegaraan digital sebagai perluasan konsep kewarganegaraan konvensional. Kajian ini menyimpulkan bahwa penguatan karakter Generasi Z memerlukan integrasi kerangka pendidikan karakter klasik dengan kerangka kewarganegaraan digital, melalui kolaborasi keluarga, sekolah, dan kebijakan literasi digital secara berkelanjutan.

Kata Kunci: Pendidikan Karakter, Integritas, Kewarganegaraan Gidital, Gen-Z, Literasi Digital.


Keywords


Pendidikan Karakter, Integritas, Kewarganegaraan Gidital, Gen-Z, Literasi Digital.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30596/pcej.v5i3.31964

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