Pola Interaksi Sosial Siswa dalam Pemanfaatan Instagram di SMPN 2 Kota Bima

Abstrak

The increasing use of social media among adolescents has significantly influenced patterns of social interaction, particularly through visually driven platforms such as Instagram. This study aims to examine how Instagram is utilized by students of SMPN 2 Kota Bima and to analyze its implications for changes in their social interaction patterns in school, family, and community contexts. The relevance of this research lies in understanding social interaction shifts among junior high school students in the digital era, which remain underexplored in local educational settings. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. The informants consisted of four students as primary informants, four parents as key informants, and one school counseling teacher as a supporting informant, selected using purposive sampling. Data analysis was conducted through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, while data validity was ensured through source, technique, and time triangulation. The findings indicate that Instagram use among students is driven by internal factors such as the need for entertainment, self-expression, and social recognition, as well as external factors including peer influence, social media trends, and ease of technological access. Instagram contributes positively by facilitating communication, supporting school activity coordination, and enhancing student creativity. However, it also leads to reduced face-to-face interaction, increased individualism, and potential risks such as cyberbullying. These results confirm that Instagram reshapes, rather than eliminates, students’ social interactions by shifting them toward digitally mediated forms. This study is limited by a small number of informants and its qualitative design, which restricts generalization. Future research is recommended to involve broader samples and mixed-method approaches to deepen analysis of social interaction changes among adolescents