RT Article
T1 Respect on Social Media: A Case Study on Young Adults' Engagement Behaviour within an Online Buddhist Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia
JF Journal for the academic study of religion
VO 36
IS 2
SP 242
OP 262
A1 Xu, Cheah Shu
A1 Jin, Lim Soo
A2 Jin, Lim Soo
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1885745907
AB The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a halt with lockdowns and restricted public gatherings. This has resulted in religious organizations relying on social media to reach out to and stay in touch with their members. The current gauge of success of a social media community is based on the engagement and participation of its members - in liking, sharing, and generating content for the group. This article examines the online behaviour, through the use of online intensive interviews, of twenty-one young adults aged between 18-30 who were members of an online Buddhist Facebook group (BLIA YAD) during the pandemic. This article attempts to provide insight into the role of respect and effect on the online participation and engagement of its members. Respect being a crucial part of the belief system of the faithful has led to low levels of engagement and participation on the organization’s social media. This study examines the role that respect plays amongst the participants in the context of Malaysia where religion conservatism is at odds with the freedom of expression that is prevalent on most social media platforms.
K1 Buddhism
K1 Covid-19
K1 religion and media
K1 online behaviour
K1 online engagement
DO 10.1558/jasr.26617