Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Articles
DOI: 10.32806/jkpi.v7i1.1098
Submitted: 17-07-2025
Published: 30-01-2026

THE THE PROBLEMATICS OF RELIGIOSITY IN THE SANDWICH GENERATION: THE DYNAMICS OF FILIAL PIETY CONCEPT ON TWITTER AND TIKTOK SOCIAL MEDIA

UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
Sandwich Generation Birrul Walidain Family Morality Digital Ethnography

Abstract

This study examines the problems faced by the sandwich generation in practicing birrul walidain (devotion to parents), when religious values are confronted with complex social, economic, and psychological pressures. The sandwich generation refers to those who are simultaneously responsible for caring for elderly parents and other family members such as children or siblings, amidst financial and emotional constraints. Within this dynamic, the practice of filial devotion has undergone a shift in meaning, transforming from an act of worship into a form of compulsion. This research employs a qualitative approach with digital ethnography methods, and data were collected from Twitter and TikTok between 2019 and 2024. The findings reveal five main forms of problems: the shifting meaning of birrul walidain, financial pressure, physical and mental exhaustion, the dilemma between sincerity and compulsion, and the impact on personal life decisions. One of the root causes is the imbalance in relationships between parents and children, in which moral demands on children are very high but not accompanied by proportional parental responsibility. Several respondents voiced emotional wounds resulting from unfair or manipulative parenting patterns. On the other hand, there is a difference in moral standards: in Western contexts, filial piety is often limited to financial support, whereas in Islam, birrul walidain is comprehensive and lifelong, though it is frequently implemented without empathy for the child’s reality. Respondents do not reject the teachings of birrul walidain but seek a healthier and fairer form of practice. In the discussion, the approach of muhasabah is offered as a form of spiritual reflection, enabling the sandwich generation to fulfill their religious duties without losing inner balance. The recommendations include recontextualizing the teachings of birrul walidain, educating for healthy family relationships, and providing more empathetic social and spiritual support. 

References

  1. Amalianita, B., Berru, B., & Putri, Y. E. (2023). Permasalahan psikologis pada sandwich generation serta implikasi dalam layanan bimbingan dan konseling. JPGI (Jurnal Penelitian Guru Indonesia), 8(2), 163–171.
  2. Ardiyanto, D., Asbari, M., & Ristanto, M. R. (2024). Tantangan dan solusi generasi sandwich: Mengelola tekanan finansial dan emosional. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial, Manajemen, Akuntansi dan Bisnis, 1(1), 31–34.
  3. Aziz, T., Astuti, R., Fadilah, Anggraini, D. D., & Reswari, A. (2025). Transformasi nilai Abhekteh (Berbakti): Kearifan lokal Madura di era digital. CV Pustaka Egaliter.
  4. Baidawi, H. D., & Khamis, K. A. bin. (2024). Religious expression in the digital age: Shalawat practices among Generation Z Indonesians. Journal of Asian Wisdom and Islamic Behavior, 2(2), 96–111.
  5. Dewi, S. S., Surbakti, A., & Nasution, A. M. N. (2022). Islamic parenting in sandwich generation. Psikis: Jurnal Psikologi Islami, 8(2), 81–91.
  6. Elsafir, R. P. (2024). The impact of digital media on religious practices and community engagement. Jurnal Ar-Ro’is Mandalika, 4(2), 68–80.
  7. Heriyanto. (2018). Thematic analysis sebagai metode menganalisa data untuk penelitian kualitatif. ANUVA, 2(3), 317–324.
  8. I’anah, N. (2017). Birr al-walidain: Konsep relasi orang tua dan anak dalam Islam. Buletin Psikologi, 25(2), 114–123.
  9. Ihsan, B., Munzalan, A. A., Putra, L. R., Yusuf, D., Helmi, M., & Nurudin. (2024). Strategi efektif penggunaan media sosial (TikTok) dalam pembelajaran agama di era digital. Merkurius: Jurnal Riset Sistem Informasi dan Teknik Informatika, 2(4), 52–64.
  10. Muhammad, Z., Anida, & Asman, Y. (2023). Nilai-nilai pendidikan Islam dalam Surat An-Nisa’ ayat 36. Jurnal Mudarrisuna: Media Kajian Pendidikan Agama Islam, 13(2), 602–613.
  11. Noor, S., & Isa, F. M. (2020). Malaysian sandwich generation issues and challenges in elderly parents care. International and Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences, 9(1), 1–26.
  12. Rahayu, I. P., & Rifayani, H. (2024). Penerimaan diri pada generasi sandwich. Journal of Creative Student Research (JCSR), 2(2), 69–82.
  13. Roring, B. W., & Simanjuntak, E. J. (2024). Kepuasan hidup generasi sandwich di Indonesia: Peran bakti kepada orang tua, tanggung jawab kepada orang tua, dan rasa bersalah. Jurnal Ilmiah Keluarga & Konseling, 17(3), 233–246.
  14. Shihab, M. Q. (2021). Tafsir Al-Misbah (Jilid 4). Lentera Hati.
  15. Sudarji, S., Panggabean, H., & Marta, R. F. (2022). Challenges of the sandwich generation: Stress and coping strategy of the multigenerational care. Indigenous: Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi, 7(3), 263–275.
  16. Syufa’at, S. M. S. Z., & Mutholaah. (2023). Sandwich generation in contemporary Indonesia: Determining responsibility in caring for elderly under Islamic law and positive law. Al-Manahij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam, 17(2), 167–182.
  17. Yeyeng, A. T., & Izzah, N. (2023). Fenomena sandwich generation pada era modern kalangan mahasiswa: Analisis fikih kontemporer. Shautuna: Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa Perbandingan Mazhab, 4(2), 302–321.

How to Cite

Azizah, A. I., Khadijah, S., & Shodiq, A. (2026). THE THE PROBLEMATICS OF RELIGIOSITY IN THE SANDWICH GENERATION: THE DYNAMICS OF FILIAL PIETY CONCEPT ON TWITTER AND TIKTOK SOCIAL MEDIA. Jurnal Konseling Pendidikan Islam, 7(1), 701–712. https://doi.org/10.32806/jkpi.v7i1.1098