PERSEPSI MAHASISWA TENTANG CYBERBULLYING DI MEDIA SOSIAL INSTAGRAM (Studi Pada Mahasiswa Jurusan Ilmu Komunikasi Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang Angkatan 2020)

This study aims to explain how Communication Science students at Muhammadiyah University Malang class of 2020 perceive cyberbullying on Instagram. Based on the phenomenon that cyberbullying is becoming increasingly prevalent, social media, which is ideally a place to share information and build relationships, has instead become a platform for online bullying. Perception is the key concept in this study because each social media user has different interpretations, particularly regarding the phenomenon of cyberbullying on Instagram. This study employs perception theory with a qualitative approach, involving six students as subjects. Data collection methods include interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques encompass data collection, data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion drawing.

The results of the study show that all six subjects perceive cyberbullying as a negative phenomenon, such as flaming, harassment, and denigration, which they often encounter. Meanwhile, five out of the six subjects have experienced cyberbullying in the form of comments. This experience is a factor influencing the perceptions of the six subjects. Psychological and socio-cultural factors also play a role, where the subjects' desire for self-control when using social media and the discomfort they feel when encountering cyberbullying in comment sections come into play. Additionally, the role of social responsibility in educating social media users through positive comments serves as a socio-cultural factor.