Spiritual Neglect in the Digital Age: Its Impact on Religious Discipline and Students’ Motivation to Learn

This study aimed to analyze the phenomenon of spiritual neglect in the digital era and its implications for worship discipline and learning motivation among boarding school-based Madrasah Aliyah students. The study employed a qualitative descriptive approach supported by simple quantitative data. Data were collected through a Google Form-based questionnaire involving 34 students from grades X and XI, semi-structured interviews with five selected informants, post-holiday observations, and supporting documentation. The results showed that 70.6% of students used digital devices for more than four hours per day during the four-day holiday period. Furthermore, 52.9% of students reported a decline in worship quality, which was associated with increased gadget use intensity, changes in sleep patterns, and reduced self-regulation due to decreased supervision within the dormitory environment. Nevertheless, most students demonstrated improved learning focus after returning to the dormitory. These findings indicate that the boarding school environment functions as a supportive restorative setting in helping students re-establish spiritual routines and academic readiness after experiencing digital disruption during the holiday period. This study recommends strengthening spiritually oriented digital literacy programs and enhancing collaboration between dormitory administrators and parents to maintain students’ worship consistency during holiday periods.