Constructing Digital Adab In Early Childhood: An Islamic Ethical Perspective On Children's Digital Behaviour

Abstract

Digital technology has become increasingly present in young children's learning environments, raising questions about how digital behaviour can be guided beyond technical competence toward moral formation. This study examines how digital adab is constructed through Islamic ethical education at RA Al-Islamiyyah Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the head of the RA, teachers, and parents and analysed thematically. The findings reveal three interconnected patterns. First, digital engagement is purposeful and mediated: digital media are used selectively, screened for age and educational appropriateness, and positioned as supplementary to play, storytelling, religious practice, and direct interaction. Second, responsible digital behaviour is cultivated through boundaries and habituation, including permission, time limits, interruption, redirection, and repeated emphasis on discipline, responsibility, respect, honesty, and beneficial use. Third, continuity between school and home reinforces these practices by creating a shared moral environment in which digital behaviour is connected with religious awareness and accountability. The study conceptualises digital adab as an emerging Islamic ethical orientation rather than merely digital literacy or digital ethics. Grounded in ta'dib, akhlaq, and muraqabah, digital adab describes the gradual formation of purposeful, restrained, responsible, and morally aware engagement with digital media during early childhood.