Santri are active agents in addressing contemporary social and welfare challenges.

"Pak Rudi's village had always struggled with access to clean water. Despite their best efforts, many families had to walk miles every day to fetch water from a nearby river. When a severe drought hit, the village came together to find a solution. Pak Rudi, a respected elder, organized a gotong royong effort to build a new well. The community worked tirelessly for days, and eventually, they were able to access clean water again. The village celebrated their success with a traditional feast, and Pak Rudi's grandchildren learned an important lesson about the value of community and cooperation."

Conversely, digital Santri have become content creators. Accounts like "Santri Gayo" or "Catatan Santri" use meme culture to critique hypocritical politicians and promote Islamic financial literacy. The social issue is the erosion of adab (etiquette) as Santri begin to question Kyai publicly on Twitter—a shocking cultural betrayal a generation ago.

The rise of ghuluw (extremism) leads to the rejection of Pancasila (Indonesia’s national ideology) and violence against minorities (Ahmadiyya, Shia, Christians). In places like West Java and South Sulawesi, "radical clusters" have emerged from unregulated Pesantren.