The Influence of Sharia Financial Literacy, Religiosity, and Sharia-Compliant Social Media Content on the Intention to Use Digital Sharia Financial Applications among Generation Z University Students in Kolaka Regency

Abstract

The rapid digitalization of financial services has created new opportunities for expanding Islamic financial inclusion among Generation Z. However, the relatively low level of Islamic financial inclusion in Indonesia indicates that digital accessibility alone may not be sufficient to encourage the adoption of Islamic financial applications. This study examines the effects of Islamic financial literacy, religiosity, and Islamic social media content on Generation Z students’ intention to use digital Islamic financial applications in Kolaka Regency, Indonesia. A quantitative, causal-associative research design was employed using a survey of 100 active students aged 18–25 years who had experience using at least one digital Islamic financial application. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling, and data were collected using a validated 20-item Likert-scale questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was employed to test the proposed relationships. The findings demonstrate that Islamic financial literacy has a positive and significant effect on usage intention (B = 0.283, t = 3.383, p = 0.001), while religiosity does not have a significant direct effect (B = 0.033, t = 0.367, p = 0.715). Islamic social media content has the strongest positive and significant effect (B = 0.631, t = 7.500, p < 0.001). Collectively, the three predictors significantly explain 56.6% of the variance in usage intention (F = 44.102, p < 0.001; Adjusted R² = 0.566). The findings highlight the strategic importance of credible Islamic financial content in promoting digital Islamic financial adoption among Generation Z.