Flexing Among Students in the Social Media Era: Qur’anic-Hadith Perspectives and Implications for Moral Education

Abstract

The phenomenon of flexing among students has become increasingly visible in the social-media era, particularly through the display of material possessions, lifestyles, achievements, and experiences as forms of digital self-presentation and social recognition. Although previous studies have examined conspicuous consumption, social comparison, and self-presentation in digital environments, limited attention has been given to interpreting flexing through an integrated Qur’anic-Hadith ethical framework and translating the interpretation into moral-educational implications. This study therefore examines flexing among students from the perspective of the Qur’an and Hadith and formulates its implications for moral education. The study employed qualitative library research using the Qur’an, authentic Hadith collections, Tafsir Al-Azhar, and relevant scholarly literature as sources. Data were analyzed thematically through familiarization, coding, categorization, thematic synthesis, contextual interpretation, and source triangulation. The analysis indicates that flexing can be interpreted through the Qur’anic ethical concepts of tafākhur (boasting), takāthur (competitive accumulation), isrāf (excess), and takabbur (arrogance), while Prophetic teachings provide complementary principles concerning intention, inner richness, humility, and responsible self-presentation. The study proposes an Islamic digital character-formation framework consisting of ethical awareness, critical reflection, self-regulation, and responsible digital action. The findings indicate that moral education should not merely prohibit material display but should cultivate students’ capacity to regulate intention, consumption, social comparison, and digital self-presentation in accordance with Islamic ethical values.