Publication Search

The development of digital technology has significantly changed the way students interact and present themselves in social life, especially through social media such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. One of the emerging social phenomena is flexing, which refers to the behavior of showing off lifestyle, achievements, or ownership to gain attention and social recognition. This study aims to analyze how Sociology students of Sriwijaya University interpret flexing on social media and whether flexing is more dominant as a lifestyle or as a form of social pressure. This research uses a qualitative method with a literature review approach by examining various scientific articles, journals, and previous studies related to flexing, self-presentation, symbolic consumption, social validation, and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). The results show that flexing is not only a form of self-presentation and symbolic consumption, but also a response to social pressure in the digital environment.

This study examines the lexical and grammatical meanings of news headlines from the November 2025 edition of detik.com, posted on Instagram. The shift from a news site to a social media platform often necessitates adjustments to headlines, which can lead to shifts in meaning. To collect relevant headlines, this study employed a qualitative descriptive method with a listening and note-taking technique. The analysis shows that lexical meaning in headlines is evident through the use of words with basic dictionary meanings, such as names of people, places, objects, and actions. Grammatical meaning is discovered through affixation and reduplication, which can change or add to the meaning of basic words according to the context. These two types of meaning play a crucial role in creating concise, clear headlines that are appropriate for the way news is presented on Instagram. This study concludes that the formation of meaning in headlines on detik.com is influenced by a combination of lexical and grammatical meanings tailored to the communication needs of social media platforms.

This study aims to examine how student lifestyles are represented on Instagram and how these representations can be understood through the concept of hyperreality. The research applies a qualitative approach using a literature review method by analyzing relevant scientific articles published within the last ten years. The findings indicate that Instagram is not only used as a communication medium but also as a space for self-representation. Students tend to upload curated content that highlights selected aspects of their lives, often emphasizing positive and visually appealing experiences. This practice reflects a process of constructing identity in the digital space. Through Jean Baudrillard’s perspective, these representations can be seen as forms of simulation that produce simulacra, where representations no longer directly refer to actual reality. As a result, a condition of hyperreality emerges, in which the boundary between reality and representation becomes increasingly blurred. This situation influences how students interpret social life and interact within digital environments. The study highlights the importance of understanding social media not only as a platform for interaction but also as a space where meanings and perceptions of reality are continuously shaped.

The phenomenon of growth in Indonesia’s beauty industry has intensified competition among both global and local skincare brands, including Avoskin. This situation impacts consumer trust Instagram. Avoskin must compete to build brand trust amid the higher exposure and engagement dominance of global brands on social media. Challenges such as the presence of negative reviews and unfavorable consumer perceptions that lead to dissatisfaction represent significant threats to Avoskin’s ability to sustain brand trust. This study aims to determine the influence of electronic word of mouth and brand image of @avoskinbeauty toward brand trust. The research adopts a quantitative approach using the simple random sampling method, involving 400 active Instagram users as respondents. Data were collected through Google Forms and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 30.. The T - test results show that Avoskin’s electronic word of mouth on Instagram has a positive and significant effect on brand trust, with a tcount greater than the ttable value (8.335 > 1.965) and significance < 0.001 < 0.05. Similarly, Avoskin’s brand image also has a positive and significant impact on brand trust, with a tcount greater than the ttable value (22.462 > 1.965) and significance < 0.001 < 0.05. The F - test results indicate that electronic word of mouth and brand image simultaneously have a significant effect on brand trust, with an Fcount greater than the Ftable value (870.240 > 3.02) and significance < 0.001 < 0.05. In conclusion, electronic word of mouth and brand image play essential roles in enhancing brand trust. The implication of this study is that skincare companies should continuously strengthen their digital presence, consistently manage their brand image, and actively facilitate and respond to electronic word of mouth, especially on social media platforms.

This study aims to analyze the comparison of personal branding strategies implemented by Amry Sophia MUA and Lia Makeup through social media portfolios. The research used a qualitative approach with a comparative case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, digital observations on Instagram and TikTok accounts, and documentation of both participants’ portfolio content. Data analysis was conducted through verbatim transcription, thematic analysis, and triangulation between interview results and digital observation findings. The results show that Amry Sophia MUA builds personal branding through a consistent visual identity characterized by a modern glam look and Thailand makeup style that appears soft, flawless, and elegant. The target market is more focused on wedding makeup and young adult brides-to-be. Meanwhile, Lia Makeup presents a flawless natural look that is more flexible and suitable for a wider audience. Lia Makeup is also supported by a media team, making the content management more structured and consistent. Both MUAs use Instagram as a visual portfolio platform and TikTok as a medium to show makeup processes, tutorials, and audience interaction. In addition, quick responses, customer testimonials, and authenticity are important factors in building trust and a professional image on social media. Therefore, this study indicates that strong personal branding can be developed through visual consistency, appropriate content strategies, audience segmentation, and effective communication with potential clients.

This study aims to investigate the impact of short-form video content on brand engagement and purchase intention among Generation Z in South Sumatra. In today’s fast-paced digital era, short-form video content promoted through social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts has become a highly effective marketing tool. This study employs a quantitative approach using a survey method, involving 245 respondents aged 18 to 24 years who are active consumers of short-form video content. Data were collected through a questionnaire measured using a 5-point Likert scale, covering variables such as short-form video content, brand engagement, and purchase intention. The results indicate that entertaining, informative, and authentic short-form videos significantly influence brand engagement, which in turn impacts consumer purchase intention. Furthermore, brand engagement was found to mediate the relationship between short-form video content and purchase intention. Dimensions of short-form video content, such as entertainment value, informative content, and authenticity, play an important role in attracting attention and enhancing consumer engagement. These findings provide practical insights for marketers to design more effective marketing strategies, especially in reaching Generation Z consumers who tend to be more selective in consuming content.

This study aims to identify and analyze Ramadan-specific lexicons used by Indonesian Muslim communities on social media, as well as to describe the cultural meanings embedded within them. The study employs an anthropolinguistic approach with a descriptive qualitative method. Data were collected through observation and note-taking techniques from three social media platforms X (Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram during the Ramadan 1446 H/2025 period. A total of 32 Ramadan-specific lexicons were identified and classified into three categories: greetings and expressions (12 items), worship-related lexicons (10 items), and culinary lexicons (10 items). The findings reveal that Ramadan lexicons circulating on social media reflect a blend of Islamic religious values, local Indonesian cultural traditions, and the influence of digital globalization. The hybrid nature of the language used — including code-mixing between Indonesian, Arabic, and English — illustrates the dynamic cultural identity of contemporary Indonesian Muslims. Ultimately, this study affirms that language is a living mirror of culture, one that continues to evolve alongside social and technological change.

The transformation of payment systems from cash to digital through the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) is part of financial transaction modernization in Indonesia. This transformation has begun among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Baduy community, particularly in Baduy Luar, which has higher interaction with external communities. However, the adoption of digital payment systems has not been fully supported by adequate financial management capabilities. This community service activity aims to identify the transformation process of payment systems and describe the financial literacy conditions of Baduy MSMEs. The method used is a descriptive qualitative approach through in-depth interviews and field observations. The results show that some MSMEs have adopted QRIS through Bank BRI as an alternative payment method alongside cash and have utilized social media such as TikTok Live and Instagram for product marketing. The main sources of income include handicrafts, traditional clothing, accessories, and food products. However, financial management practices remain simple and lack systematic recording. This indicates improved financial inclusion but not yet accompanied by adequate financial behavior. Therefore, strengthening financial literacy is essential to support sustainable financial modernization in the Baduy community.

Indonesian culinary comments on social media platforms such as Instagram are characterized by informal spelling, regional language mixing, slang expressions, and emojis, posing substantial challenges for automated sentiment classification. While IndoBERT has demonstrated strong performance across Indonesian natural language processing tasks, the contribution of individual preprocessing components to fine-tuning performance on informal text remains underexplored, particularly in the culinary domain. This study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic preprocessing ablation study on IndoBERT-Base fine-tuning for Indonesian culinary sentiment classification, accompanied by a comparative evaluation against Naive Bayes with TF-IDF, SVM with TF-IDF, and BiLSTM as representative baselines. A dataset of 3,500 manually labeled Instagram culinary comments across three sentiment classes was used, with a stratified 80/10/10 split. Six preprocessing variants were evaluated under identical experimental conditions to isolate the contribution of each component. The results show that slang normalization is the most impactful single preprocessing step, yielding a macro F1-score gain of +0.0609 over the no-preprocessing baseline, while the full pipeline achieves an accuracy of 0.8800 and a macro F1-score of 0.8465. IndoBERT-Base with the full pipeline outperforms all baselines across all evaluation metrics. Per-class analysis reveals that the negative class achieves the lowest F1-score of 0.7600, with sarcastic expressions and Banjar regional vocabulary identified as primary sources of misclassification. These findings indicate that preprocessing decisions have a measurable and non-uniform effect on IndoBERT fine-tuning performance. In this study, slang normalization provides the most substantial individual contribution in bridging the vocabulary gap between informal user-generated text and the model’s pre-training distribution.

This study explored how a teacher’s writing habit functions as emotional expression within a demanding teaching routine. Specifically, it examined four aspects like writing as emotional release, writing as reflective practice, writing within a demanding teaching routine, and writing as an emotional coping strategy. A qualitative single-case study design was employed. The participant was one female teacher at SD Negeri 060 Pekkabata, Polewali Mandar, Sulawesi Barat, who had a very hectic schedule including full-time teaching, administrative duties, and private tutoring. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom and WhatsApp chat, as well as document analysis of the teacher’s syllabus, lesson plans, blog, Instagram posts, journal book, and mobile phone notes. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that writing served as a powerful emotional release, helping the teacher process anxiety and accept difficult situations. Reflective writing occurred primarily during professional training periods and motivated her to improve classroom practice. Despite her demanding routine, the teacher maintained a writing habit by using multiple platforms, writing during natural breaks, and prioritizing short, happiness-focused notes. She considered writing equally effective as talking to others for emotional expression and strongly recommended writing to fellow teachers. The study concludes that a flexible writing habit focused on emotional release and small positive moments can be a sustainable, low-cost coping strategy for teachers facing overwhelming professional demands. These findings have implications for teacher well-being program and teacher education.

The rapid development of social media, particularly Instagram, has transformed consumers’ information-seeking behavior and purchasing decision processes, making information quality in digital catalogs a crucial factor in visual-based marketing. However, studies examining information quality in Instagram-based digital catalogs for highly customized products remain limited. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the quality of digital catalog information and purchasing decisions on the @santflowersbouquet account. A quantitative approach with a survey method was employed, involving 95 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed through validity, reliability, and Spearman’s Rank correlation tests. The results indicate that information quality is categorized as high, with accuracy (92.6%) and timeliness (86.3%) as the dominant indicators. Purchasing decisions are also in the high category, with the time of purchase indicator reaching 96.8%. The correlation test shows a positive and significant relationship with a coefficient of 0.621 (p<0.001), indicating a strong association. These findings suggest that improving the quality of digital catalog information significantly contributes to enhancing purchasing decisions. Therefore, businesses are encouraged to optimize information quality as part of their digital marketing communication strategy.

This study discusses the production of digital campaign content for Perumda Transpakuan Bogor through Instagram and videotron as part of public transportation communication strategies targeting Generation Z. The study aims to analyze and implement digital content production processes that are visually engaging, informative, and relevant to young audiences. This research used a qualitative descriptive approach with a project-based applied research orientation. Data were collected through participatory observation, documentation, and Instagram Insight analysis. The project resulted in nine Instagram contents in the form of reels, carousel posts, infographics, and interactive posts, as well as one public service advertisement video for videotron media. The findings show that the use of storytelling, relatable visuals, and short-form video formats effectively increased audience reach and engagement. Instagram reels became the most effective format in attracting Generation Z audiences, while videotron strengthened message distribution in public spaces. The study implies that integrating social media and digital outdoor media can support more effective public communication campaigns for public transportation services.

West Sumatra is one of the Indonesian regions with high exposure to natural hazards, making fast, accurate, and accessible disaster information essential. This study aims to analyze the role of the Instagram account of the West Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in disseminating disaster information, examining both institutional management practices and public interpretation of the messages. The study used a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten external informants and six internal BPBD informants, supported by observation and documentation of Instagram-based disaster communication. The data were analyzed through reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that Instagram functions as a channel for early warning, emergency updates, disaster education, documentation, and public interaction. Internal informants described content production through field documentation, editing, 5W+1H-based narration, verification, and coordination with related agencies. Public informants perceived BPBD information as clear, credible, and useful for daily preparedness, although they expected faster updates, simpler visuals, and more interactive content. The study implies that disaster communication through Instagram needs to strengthen verification procedures, real-time updates, human resources, and two-way engagement.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pengaruh penggunaan Instagram terhadap perilaku, identitas sosial, dan gaya hidup Generasi Z. Metode yang digunakan adalah kualitatif deskriptif melalui wawancara mendalam terhadap empat informan Generasi Z yang aktif menggunakan Instagram, yakni Jay, Kalista, Manda, dan Maria. Selaras dengan empat rumusan masalah yang diajukan—mengenai pola penggunaan, pembentukan identitas, pengaruh terhadap gaya hidup, serta strategi pengelolaan—hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Instagram memberikan pengaruh yang beragam: sebagai sumber informasi dan hiburan utama, sebagai platform pembentukan identitas dan personal branding, serta sebagai media yang memengaruhi gaya hidup meliputi fashion, pilihan makanan, dan destinasi wisata. Temuan juga mengungkapkan bahwa sebagian besar informan mampu mengontrol penggunaan Instagram secara mandiri melalui strategi seperti menonaktifkan akun, menghapus aplikasi sementara, dan memilah konten. Meskipun Instagram memberikan dampak positif seperti perluasan jaringan sosial dan akses informasi, terdapat potensi dampak negatif berupa gangguan aktivitas belajar dan tekanan sosial akibat standar kehidupan yang ditampilkan di platform tersebut. Penelitian ini menegaskan pentingnya literasi digital dan kemampuan manajemen diri dalam penggunaan media sosial, khususnya bagi Generasi Z yang tumbuh bersama teknologi digital.

Financial literacy is an essential aspect in supporting community financial management, particularly in rural and indigenous communities such as Kanekes Village (Baduy). Although the community has begun to access financial services and digital technology, their ability to manage finances remains limited. Therefore, this community service activity aims to identify the level of financial literacy and to encourage public awareness of better financial management. The method used is a descriptive qualitative approach through in-depth interviews and field observations. The results show that the community, especially in Baduy Luar, has utilized social media such as TikTok Live and Instagram for product marketing and has adopted digital payment systems such as QRIS through Bank BRI, although cash transactions still dominate. The main sources of income come from micro-enterprises based on local potential, including handicrafts, traditional clothing, accessories, and food products. However, the community generally lacks financial recording practices and structured financial planning, causing income to be directly spent on daily needs. The activity also indicates the emergence of initial awareness regarding financial management and highlights the role of youth as local leaders in adopting digital technology. Therefore, strengthening financial literacy is crucial to improving financial behavior and supporting sustainable economic transformation within the community.

The purpose of this study is to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies implemented by Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those engaged in the culinary sector, within the Pasar Raya MMTC (Medan Metropolitan Trade Center) area in facing digital era competition. The research method employed is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with MSME owners, observation of digital promotional activities (Social Media and Marketplaces), and content analysis. The results indicate that the most effective and commonly used digital strategies include: (1) Marketplace Optimization (focusing on discount and flash sale features), (2) Social Media Marketing Utilization (Instagram and TikTok for visual/video content), and (3) Collaboration with Local Micro-Influencers or food vloggers. The effectiveness of these strategies is measured by the increase in sales volume (an average of 20-30% after digital adoption) and improved brand visibility. The main obstacles encountered by MMTC MSMEs are the lack of consistency in content creation, limited funds for paid advertising, and insufficient understanding of digital data analytics. This study concludes that digital adaptation is essential, but it must be supported by improving digital literacy and providing targeted assistance focused on analyzing the return on investment (ROI) of digital marketing activities for sustainable growth.

Taste.ki MSME, a café in Makassar, faces challenges from intense competition and an suboptimal digital marketing strategy, relying only on Instagram without a consistent content strategy. This study aims to design a website integrated with Instagram to strengthen Brand Awareness and increase sales. The research employed the Four-D method (Define, Design, Develop, Disseminate), and the website was designed using the Wordpress CMS. The results indicate that the website design was successfully implemented. The integration of the website with Instagram significantly improved Brand Awareness, evidenced by a Brand Recognition achievement of 88% and Brand Recall of 94%. Furthermore, this digital strategy positively impacted Taste.ki MSME's sales, showing an increase of 79.20%. This improvement confirms the crucial role of a website as an information hub and conversion channel in an MSME's digital marketing strategy to compete effectively in the digital era.

This study aims to analyze the digital communication strategy implemented by the Jakarta Communication, Informatics, and Statistics Office (Diskominfotik) in the dissemination of public information through the @katakotajakarta Instagram account. The research method uses a descriptive qualitative approach with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, and literature studies. The results of the study show that there is a shift in communication patterns from one direction to a more interactive two-way, characterized by the use of visual content, the use of casual language, and systematic content planning. The use of the Reels feature has proven to be effective in increasing audience reach, especially from non-followers. However, the challenges faced include fluctuations in engagement and the risk of information overload that can reduce the effectiveness of communication. This study concludes that adaptive and data-based digital communication strategies are able to increase the effectiveness of public communication and strengthen the relationship between the government and the community. These findings provide practical implications for the management of public communication in the digital era, especially in utilizing social media as an interactive means that support transparency and public participation.

This study examines the use of politeness principles in netizens’ comments on the Instagram account of Prabowo Subianto. The focus of the research is on utterances that reflect the six maxims of politeness proposed by Leech, namely the tact maxim, generosity maxim, approbation maxim, modesty maxim, agreement maxim, and sympathy maxim. This research employed a qualitative method with a content analysis approach. The data were collected through digital documentation, listening, and note-taking techniques from netizens’ comments on Prabowo Subianto’s Instagram post dated April 13, 2026. The findings show that five politeness maxims were identified in the data, namely the tact maxim with 78 utterances, the approbation maxim with 145 utterances, the modesty maxim with 4 utterances, the agreement maxim with 190 utterances, and the sympathy maxim with 33 utterances. Meanwhile, the generosity maxim was not found in the data. These findings indicate that the comments on the post generally express polite, appreciative, and supportive attitudes toward Prabowo Subianto.

This study examines the application of Walter Murch's Rule of Six as a post-production decision-making framework for the Instagram Reels content on the Tenchi Tirtayasa account. This project addresses the challenge of bridging the gap between the image of a premium restaurant and the necessity to convey a warmer, more accessible brand experience through short-form videos. A descriptive project-based methodology was employed, involving the observation of the production process, documentation of the editing workflow, analysis of Episode 3 of the Reels series, and review of Instagram Reels Insights as the data. The analysis reveals that the six priorities of editing—Emotion, Story, Rhythm, eye-trace, Two-dimensional screen space, and Three-dimensional action space—assisted the editor in selecting shots, organizing visual sequences, managing pacing, and maintaining spatial continuity in the vertical 9:16 format. Episode 3 garnered 9,132 Views, 229 Likes, 10 Comments, 9 Shares, and a 93.4% non-follower reach rate. These findings suggest that a Rule of Six-based workflow can enhance soft-selling Storytelling, reinforce visual consistency, and improve the communicative value of restaurant reel content.