The Impact Of The “Marriage Is Scary” Trend in the TikTok Platform on Marital Motivation: A Maqashid Sharia Analysis of Faculty Of Islamic Studies UII Students

Abstract

The development of social media, particularly TikTok, has given rise to various digital discourses that influence the younger generation's perspective on marriage. One prominent phenomenon is the “Marriage is Scary” trend, which describes the fear of marriage due to issues such as domestic conflict, violence, family trauma, emotional instability, and economic pressure. This study aims to analyze how this trend affects the motivation to marry among students of the Ahwal Syakhshiyyah Study Program, Faculty of Islamic Sciences, Islamic University of Indonesia, as well as how Maqashid Sharia—particularly through Jasser Auda's approach— views this phenomenon. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method through in-depth interviews with informants who have been exposed to the content of this trend. Data analysis was conducted through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing, and was combined with a literature review related to the theory of Maqashid Sharia. The results of the study show that the “Marriage is Scary” trend does not significantly reduce the motivation to marry among students. The negative narratives that emerge actually encourage reflective attitudes, such as the awareness to improve mental, spiritual, and munakahat knowledge preparation before entering into marriage. Students view most TikTok content as exaggerated, dramatic, or simply following trends, even though it still contains relevant lessons and caution. Analysis using Maqashid Sharia shows that students' responses are in line with the principles of Sharia objectives such as purposefulness, holism, openness, and interrelatedness, where this digital phenomenon is not seen as a threat to the institution of marriage, but as a trigger for learning towards more mature readiness. This study concludes that the “Marriage is Scary” trend can be used as educational material and reflection for the younger generation, rather than as a trigger for fear. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen premarital education, wise digital literacy, and an adaptive approach to da'wah and family education in line with developments in social media.