Citra Diri Digital Pemain Roblox melalui Kustomisasi Avatar: Studi Fenomenologi pada Remaja Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54259/mukasi.v5i2.7543Keywords:
Digital Identity, Self-Image, Avatar, Roblox, AdolescentsAbstract
This study aims to analyze how Indonesian adolescents represent their self-image through avatar customization in Roblox. This research uses a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method to explore the subjective experiences of players in constructing their digital identities. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with adolescent Roblox users who actively customize their avatars and interact within virtual spaces. The findings show that avatar customization is not merely a visual display, but a meaningful process of self-representation. Through avatars, adolescents express how they perceive themselves as well as how they want to be perceived by others. This process involves impression management, where the avatar functions as the “front stage,” while personal motivations and considerations remain in the “backstage.”. Furthermore, Roblox does not only function as an entertainment platform, but also as a social space where identity is formed, negotiated, and expressed. This study is expected to contribute to digital communication studies, particularly in understanding the formation of digital self-image and identity construction among adolescents in virtual spaces. These findings also highlight the importance of virtual environments in shaping contemporary youth identity.
Downloads
References
Atoyan, V., Hovyan, V., & Movsisyan, N. (2023). The Digital Space as the Environment of Social Self-determination and Self-Expression. Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy, 7(09), 347–350. https://doi.org/10.36348/jaep.2023.v07i09.004
Bellini, B. (2021). The transcendence of personal individuality and the role of the imaginary in self-shaping.
Boyd, D. (2016). It’s complicated: The social lives of networked teens. Yale University Press.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Fathan, M. D. (2025). Panggung Citra Diri Remaja di Media Sosial Instagram (Studi Deskriptif Pada Anggota UKM Putra Putri Kampus Muhammadiyah Malang) [Skripsi Sarjana, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang]. Repositori Institusi Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang.
Fu, Y., Schwamm, S., Baughan, A., Powell, N., Kronberg, Z., Owens, A., Izenman, E., Alsabeh, D., Hunt, E., Bickham, D., Radesky, J., & Hiniker, A. (2025). Understanding children's avatar making in social online games. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2502.18705
Dattatreyan, E. G., Ray, A., Raman, U., & Webb, M. (2023). Introduction. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565231208132
Dionisio, J. D. N., Burns III, W. G., & Gilbert, R. (2022). 3D virtual worlds and the metaverse: Current status and future possibilities.
Grewal, D., Herhausen, D., Ludwig, S., & Villarroel Ordenes, F. (2022). The Future of Digital Communication Research: Considering Dynamics and Multimodality. Journal of Retailing, 98(2), 224–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2021.01.007
Hapsari, H. I., Huang, M.-C., & Kanita, M. W. (2023). Evaluating Self-Concept Measurements in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Children, 10(2), 399. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10020399
Hastomo, Rahadian, Tria Patrianti, and Sa’diyah El Adawiyah. 2025. “Digital Marketing Communication Strategy of Internet Service Provider Companies in Strengthening Brand Awareness ”. Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Sains 6 (4):1189-97. https://doi.org/10.59141/jiss.v6i4.1707
Kim J, Moon K, Kim S, Kim H and Ko Y (2023) The relationship between mental representations of self and social evaluation: Examining the validity and usefulness of visual proxies of self-image. Front. Psychol. 13:937905. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.937905
Kompas.com. (2025, 12 Agustus). Roblox disorot, berapa jumlah pemainnya di Indonesia? https://tekno.kompas.com/read/2025/08/12/19140027/roblox-disorot-berapa-jumlah-pemainnya-di-indonesia
Machado, E., Miranda, S. M. L., & Baldi, V. (2022). How social media reconfigures Personal Brand Management and Online Reputation. 2022 17th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.23919/cisti54924.2022.9820196
Maulana, Rolly. (2022). Implementing Roblox in the Metaverse. Bandung: Pedia Book Publishers.
Nowak, K. L., & Fox, J. (2018). Avatars and computer-mediated communication: a review of the definitions, uses, and effects of digital representations. 6, 30–53. https://doi.org/10.12840/ISSN.2255-4165.2018.06.01.015
Nurrachmah, S. (2025). Gen Z’s Self-Expression and Digital Identity Strategies on Social Media X: A Quantitative Study of Communication Styles and Audience Engagement. Jurnal Multidisiplin Indonesia, 4(7). https://doi.org/10.58344/jmi.v4i7.2411
Priyono, P. E. (2022). Komunikasi dan komunikasi digital. Guepedia
Putro, H. P. (2023). Building Digital Communication Effectiveness in Organizations (Vol. 1, Issue 02).
Roblox Corporation. (2024). Avatar overview and customization. https://create.roblox.com/docs
Roblox. (2024, 25 Maret). Roblox memperkenalkan teknologi avatar dan pembuatan tekstur yang didukung AI untuk mempercepat kreasi 3D. https://about.roblox.com/id/ruang-berita/2024/03/roblox-memperkenalkan-teknologi-avatar-dan-pemcepat-kreasi-3d
Ruan, Q. N., Shen, G. H., Yang, J. S., & Yan, W. J. (2023). The interplay of self-acceptance, social comparison and attributional style in adolescent mental health: cross-sectional study. BJPsych open, 9(6), e202. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.594
Satyanandani, K. A., Palupi, M. F. T., & Romadhan, M. I. (2023). Citra diri virtual pada pengguna Instagram (Studi dramaturgi pada mahasiswa ilmu komunikasi Untag Surabaya). Representamen, 9(01), 87–97. https://doi.org/10.30996/representamen.v9i01.7446
Shulman, D. H. P. (2016). The presentation of self in contemporary social life. SAGE Publications.
Statista. (2025). Roblox games users worldwide distribution by age group. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1190869/roblox-games-users-global-distribution-age/
Sudirman, N. I. (2025). Relasi Sosial Gen Z di Dunia Virtual: Studi tentang Interaksi melalui Avatar di Roblox. Maximal Journal : Jurnal Ilmiah Bidang Sosial, Ekonomi, Budaya Dan Pendidikan.
Sugiyono. (2023). Metode penelitian kualitatif (4th ed.). Alfabeta.
Waterloo, S. F. (2018). Infinite content, infinitely content : Self-expression in contemporary digital culture.
Wulandari, A. A., Fahrudin, A., & Rahman, A. (2025). Peran Roblox dalam Pembentukan Identitas Generasi Muda: Sebuah Tinjauan Literatur. INTERACTION: Communication Studies Journal, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.47134/interaction.v2i2.
Yang, Y., Wang, H., Gong, S., & Qiu, Y. (2025). The Relationship Between Self-Concept Clarity and Meaning in Life Among Adolescents: Based on Variable-Centered Perspective and Person-Centered Perspective. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), 948. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070948
Zimmermann, D., Wehler, A., & Kaspar, K. (2022). Self-representation through avatars in digital environments. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03232-6
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nuraini Fazilatun Nisa, Asep Soegiarto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Hak cipta pada setiap artikel adalah milik penulis.
Penulis mengakui bahwa MUKASI (Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi) sebagai publisher yang mempublikasikan pertama kali dengan lisensi Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Penulis dapat memasukan tulisan secara terpisah, mengatur distribusi non-ekskulif dari naskah yang telah terbit di jurnal ini kedalam versi yang lain, seperti: dikirim ke respository institusi penulis, publikasi kedalam buku, dan lain-lain. Dengan mengakui bahwa naskah telah terbit pertama kali pada MUKASI (Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi).
