Negosiasi Self-Image pada Main dan Second Account Instagram di Kalangan Gen Z: Studi Kualitatif

Abstract

This study explores how three Generation Z university students negotiate their self-image across main and second Instagram accounts using Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective. A qualitative design was employed, involving three purposively selected students who used both accounts. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation of account content and were interpreted through thematic analysis informed by reflexive principles. Five interconnected themes were developed: curating a publicly acceptable image; anticipating the judgments of multiple audiences; seeking relief from performative expectations; renegotiating layered privacy boundaries; and negotiating authenticity across audiences. The main account was associated with more selective self-presentation, whereas the second account supported more spontaneous sharing with selected followers. However, privacy remained negotiable even within private accounts, and the participants differed in how they understood authenticity. The findings suggest that Instagram self-image is managed not merely by separating public and private selves, but by continuously adjusting audience boundaries, disclosure, and sociocultural expectations. The study offers a context-specific interpretation rather than a generalization about Generation Z.