Fear of Missing Out, Perbandingan Sosial Daring, dan Pembentukan Identitas Diri pada Remaja Awal : Studi Kasus Kualitatif di Sekolah Menengah Pertama Indonesia

Fear of Missing Out, Online Social Comparison, and Self-Identity Formation among Early Adolescents : A Qualitative Case Study in Indonesian Junior Secondary Schools

Masa remaja awal merupakan periode kritis dalam pembentukan identitas diri, namun tugas perkembangan ini semakin banyak dinegosiasikan dalam lingkungan media sosial yang mengintensifkan Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), perbandingan sosial daring, dan validasi eksternal. Penelitian ini mengkaji bagaimana FoMO dan perbandingan sosial daring membentuk eksplorasi dan komitmen identitas pada remaja awal di sekolah menengah pertama di Indonesia. Dengan menggunakan desain studi kasus kualitatif, data dikumpulkan di tiga sekolah negeri di Surabaya Selatan. Kuesioner skrining diadministrasikan kepada 270 siswa kelas VIII, dilanjutkan dengan pemilihan secara purposif terhadap 27 remaja berusia 12-15 tahun untuk menjalani wawancara semi-terstruktur, observasi kelas, pencatatan lapangan, dan analisis konten digital yang dipandu oleh kaidah etika. Data dianalisis melalui analisis kualitatif interaktif yang didukung oleh triangulasi sumber, pengecekan anggota (member checking), dan diskusi sejawat (peer debriefing). Temuan menunjukkan bahwa FoMO termanifestasi sebagai kecemasan akan diskoneksi, pengecekan metrik keterlibatan secara kompulsif, konformitas berbasis tren, dan ketergantungan pada validasi teman sebaya. Perbandingan sosial daring memperlebar kesenjangan antara diri aktual dan diri ideal, yang menghasilkan harga diri yang berfluktuasi serta inkongruensi konsep diri. Dalam kerangka status identitas Marcia, partisipan sebagian besar menunjukkan moratorium identitas yang cemas dan foreclosure identitas prematur. Penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi pada teori identitas remaja dengan mengontekstualisasikan FoMO dalam setting sekolah yang kolektivis di Indonesia, serta menyoroti pentingnya literasi digital kritis dan intervensi bimbingan konseling berbasis sekolah.

 Kata kunci : Remaja Awal; Fear of Missing Out (FoMO); Status Identitas; Identitas Diri; Media Sosial.

Early adolescence (12-15 years) is a critical period for identity formation; however, this developmental task is increasingly negotiated within a social media environment that intensifies Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), online social comparison, and the pursuit of external validation. This study investigates the dynamics of FoMO in social media use concerning the self-exploration process, examining how FoMO and online social comparison pressures construct identity and shift identity status among early adolescents in Indonesian junior high schools. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected from three public junior high schools in South Surabaya. The participants comprised 27 eighth-grade students selected through purposive sampling from 270 screened respondents, meeting criteria of intensive social media use (>4 hours/day) and high FoMO indicators. Data collection involved semi-structured in-depth interviews, classroom observations, field notes, and ethically guided digital content analysis. Data were analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldana’s interactive model, with validity ensured through source triangulation, member checking, and peer debriefing. Findings reveal that FoMO manifests as disconnection anxiety, compulsive checking of engagement metrics, trend-based conformity, and reliance on peer validation. Online social comparison exacerbates the discrepancy between the actual and ideal selves, resulting in fluctuating self-esteem and self-concept incongruence. Within Marcia’s theoretical framework, these pressures hinder Identity Achievement, trapping adolescents in an anxious Identity Moratorium (reactive, trend-based exploration) or premature Identity Foreclosure (hasty commitment for social acceptance). The collectivist cultural context in Indonesia further reinforces this conformity pressure. The study concludes that social media has transformed into a high-risk identity laboratory, necessitating the urgent integration of critical digital literacy, psychosocial support from school counselors, and a paradigm shift in parental roles toward dialogic digital mentorship. This research contributes to adolescent identity theory by contextualizing FoMO within a collectivist school setting and highlighting the imperative for school-based counseling interventions.

 Keywords : Early Adolescence; Fear of Missing Out (FoMO); Identity Statuses; Self-Identity; Social Media.