Social Media Use and the Reconfiguration of Social Competence among Generation Z in Indonesia

Yuli Candrasari, Catur Suratnoaji, Dyva Claretta

Abstract


The existence of social media has shifted face-to-face communication to mediated communication, leading to the assumption that social media has successfully replaced face-to-face communication. As a result, Gen Z's social competence is low, they tend to be individualistic, socially isolated, and the quality of communication within the family decreases. This has the potential to conflict with kinship values in Indonesian culture. This condition emphasizes the importance of research that specifically examines the social competence of Generation Z in the context of social media use. This study uses a mixed method, namely combining descriptive qualitative and descriptive quantitative research methods. The qualitative method is used to discover and understand the meaning of Gen Z's social competence. The quantitative method is used to strengthen supporting data for qualitative data through data mining on social media. The data collection method is carried out using in-depth interviews with Gen Z in cyberspace, supported by data mining on social media. Gen Z actually excels in communication and socialization skills, friendship networks, and adaptation in virtual interactions. These findings indicate a shift in social competence patterns influenced by the use of social media and digital interactions. These differences indicate that Gen Z's social competence is multidimensional, with advantages in online interactions and social networks, but still needs to be strengthened in traditional interpersonal aspects that support empathy, self-control, and face-to-face social relationships.

 

Keywords: Social media, Gen Z, digital, communication technology, social competence.

 

https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2025-4104-25


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