Cognitive Dissonance Among Muslim Consumers: A Qualitative Study of the Use of Paylater Features Among Generation Z in Islamic Boarding Schools

Eva Pelitawati; Abdul Aziz; Saeful Bakhri

doi:10.55681/economina.v5i5.1994

Authors

Eva Pelitawati Department of Islamic Economics, Sheikh Nurjati State Islamic University of Cirebon
Abdul Aziz Department of Islamic Economics, Sheikh Nurjati State Islamic University of Cirebon
Saeful Bakhri Department of Islamic Economics, Sheikh Nurjati State Islamic University of Cirebon

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55681/economina.v5i5.1994

Keywords:

Cognitive Dissonance, Paylater, Generation Z, Islamic Boarding Schools, Islamic Economics, Consumer Behavior

Abstract

This study examines the consumption paradox among Generation Z students at the Al-Ma’rifah Islamic Boarding School in Cirebon regarding the use of “pay-later” features. Using a descriptive qualitative method with a phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with fifteen informants selected through purposive sampling. The results indicate the presence of cognitive dissonance that is resolved through three mechanisms: labeling interest as an administrative fee, normalization due to peer pressure, and identity compartmentalization. These findings confirm a shift from substantive Sharia compliance to practical adaptation in the interest of a digital lifestyle. Therefore, the Sharia economics curriculum needs to integrate digital financial literacy to uphold the financial morality of the students.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ahmad, N., & Mahmood, S. (2024). The psychological contract of "Buy Now Pay Later" (BNPL): A study on young Muslim consumers' debt traps. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 48(2), e12980. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12980

Al-Adwan, A. S. (2023). Determinants of the intention to use "Buy Now Pay Later" (BNPL) services: Extending the UTAUT2 model. Journal of Financial Services Marketing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41264-023-00212-0

Amiruddin, K. (2022). The Dual Identity of Muslim Youth in Digital Transaction Era. Journal of Islamic Economics and Finance, 8(3), 215-230. https://doi.org/10.21154/jief.v8i3.4431

Ascarya, A. (2022). The role of Islamic social finance in the digital era: A Maqasid al-Shari’ah perspective. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 15(2), 234-252. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-07-2020-0335

Basyar, K., & Purwanto, A. (2021). Literasi ekonomi syariah santri: Studi kasus pola konsumsi digital di pondok pesantren modern. Jurnal Ekonomi Islam, 12(1), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.15575/jei.v12i1.12430

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839915580941

Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford University Press. https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=385

Hassan, R., et al. (2023). Digital Debt Traps: The Psychology of Paylater Usage among Muslim Generation Z. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(2), 40-58. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-01-2023-0005

Kasri, R. A., et al. (2023). Maqasid al-Shariah in the Era of Fintech: A New Challenge for Property Preservation. International Journal of Islamic Finance, 15(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIF-2023-0012

Lutfi, M., & Rosyidi, A. (2023). Euphemism in Islamic financial technology: A critical discourse analysis of Sharia-labeled debt products. Journal of Muamalat and Islamic Finance Research, 20(1), 15-30. https://doi.org/10.33102/jmifr.v20i1.455

Mansur, A., & Kurniawan, R. (2022). Peer-group influence and the normalization of online debt among Indonesian students. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 25(3), 412-428. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12515

Mubarok, A., & Park, J. (2024). Negotiating Faith and Finance: Fintech Penetration in Traditional Islamic Boarding Schools. International Journal of Cyber Society and Education, 17(1), 12-29. https://doi.org/10.7903/ijcse.2112

Nizam, R., et al. (2022). Financial Inclusion vs Financial Literacy: The Double-Edged Sword of Digital Credit in Developing Countries. Journal of Financial Studies, 30(4), 112-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfs.2022.101032

Rahmat, T., & Syarif, H. (2021). Digital Consumption Pattern of Santri: An Ethnographic Study. Cirebon: Al-Ma'rifah Press.

Ritzer, G. (2021). The McDonaldization of society: Into the digital age (10th ed.). SAGE Publications. (Penting untuk membahas komodifikasi dan percepatan konsumsi).

Siddiqui, R., & Adnan, M. (2023). Cognitive dissonance in religious consumers: A systematic literature review and research agenda. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(5), 1250-1275. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-03-2022-0089

Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research. SAGE. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446225028

Sudarsono, H. (2021). Bank dan Lembaga Keuangan Syariah: Deskripsi dan Ilustrasi. Yogyakarta: Ekonisia. https://ekonisia.uii.ac.id/produk/bank-dan-lembaga-keuangan-syariah/

Suhendi, H. (2022). Fiqh Muamalah: Dinamika ekonomi dalam perspektif hukum Islam. Rajawali Pers.

Wong, N. (2023). The fintech revolution and the disappearance of "Pain of Paying": Evidence from Gen Z consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 72, 103258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103258

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348017730530