Holistic Education in Character Building for Children in the Digital Era: A Maqasid al-Shariah Perspective

Abstract

The digital era has brought both opportunities and challenges to children's character development. Easy access to information, social media, and digital technologies offers significant benefits for learning processes; however, it also has the potential to contribute to moral degradation, identity crises, and weakened self-control among children. This article aims to analyze the concept of holistic education in shaping children's character in the digital age from the perspective of Maqasid al-Shariah. The study employs a library research method with a descriptive qualitative approach. The data were obtained from literature on holistic education, character education, child development, the digital era, and the theory of Maqasid al-Shariah. The findings indicate that holistic education grounded in Maqasid al-Shariah serves as an integrative paradigm for character formation through the protection of religion (hifz al-din), life (hifz al-nafs), intellect (hifz al-'aql), lineage (hifz al-nasl), and wealth (hifz al-mal). These five dimensions are highly relevant in addressing digital challenges such as the spread of harmful content, cyberbullying, gadget addiction, misinformation, and consumerist behavior. Holistic education based on Maqasid al-Shariah emphasizes a balance among intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and digital intelligences, thereby fostering a generation that is morally grounded, ethical, responsible, and capable of using technology wisely.