Media and Religious Consciousness: How the Information Environment Affects the Spiritual Security of Society

Abstract

The article analyzes the impact of the contemporary media environment on the formation and transformation of religious consciousness in the context of the spiritual security of society. In the digital era, the information space functions as a powerful factor of socialization, worldview construction, and cultural identification. The study explores the dual role of media – as a channel of interfaith dialogue and as a potential source of spiritual destabilization. Using methods of content and discourse analysis, the paper examines the mechanisms through which media messages influence collective and individual perceptions of faith, moral values, and social cohesion. Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of “information religiosity,” where religious symbols and narratives are appropriated by secular media discourse, leading to a superficial and consumerist understanding of spirituality. The article also addresses the issue of religious manipulation through fake news, digital propaganda, and hybrid information wars, which threaten national identity and the moral stability of societies. The author substantiates the importance of developing media literacy and spiritual culture as key components of information security. The research concludes that the protection of spiritual security requires not isolation from global information flows but the creation of a value-oriented communicative environment that promotes critical thinking, ethical reflection, and respect for religious diversity.