FENOMENA PENGHINDARAN CONTEXT COLLAPSE STUDI FENOMENOLOGI: PENGELOLAAN MULTI AKUN INSTAGRAM OLEH GENERASI Z

Abstract

Instagram has become a primary space for Generation Z to build social interactions, express themselves, and construct digital identities. However, the presence of diverse audiences within a single account often generates social tension known as context collapse. This condition encourages some users to manage multiple accounts as a digital communication strategy. This study aims to understand the motives and subjective experiences of Generation Z in using multiple Instagram accounts as an effort to avoid context collapse and manage digital identity. The study is grounded in Alfred Schutz’s phenomenological theory, particularly the concepts of because motives and in-order-to motives, the concept of intersubjectivity, and context collapse theory as a framework for understanding the relationship between individuals, audiences, and media.

This research employs a qualitative approach using a phenomenological method. The research subjects consist of five Generation Z informants who actively use more than one Instagram account. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. The findings show that the use of multiple accounts is rooted in experiences of discomfort on main accounts, such as family surveillance, fear of being misunderstood, representational pressure, and the convergence of audiences from different social backgrounds. These findings are consistent with previous studies on digital identity management and reinforce the relevance of context collapse theory in the context of visually oriented social media platforms such as Instagram. Multiple accounts function as strategies for audience segmentation, privacy control, and the creation of safer digital spaces. This study indicates that multi-account management is not merely a technical practice, but a communication strategy used by Generation Z to maintain comfort, privacy, and consistency of self-identity in social media use.