Media Sosial sebagai Sarana Mempertahankan Chemistry antara Selebriti dan Fans (Studi pada Anggota CARAT Fans Boyband Korea SEVENTEEN dengan Platform Weverse)

Sheril Ajeng Vriliana, 2025, NIM 202210040311119.
SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MEANS OF BUILDING CHEMISTRY BETWEEN CELEBRITIES AND FANS (A STUDY ON THE USE OF THE WEVERSE PLATFORM BY BOYGROUP SEVENTEEN AND CARAT).

Undergraduate Thesis. Communication Studies Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang.
Supervisor: Dr. Joko Susilo, S.Sos., M.Si.
In the current digital era, forms of communication have developed rapidly. One of the most significant changes can be seen in the context of K-pop fandoms, where communication patterns have transformed substantially. The Weverse platform is a social media platform that facilitates direct interaction between artists and fans. This study examines how chemistry can be formed through the use of social media.

This research aims to explore the utilization of the Weverse social media platform in building chemistry between the Korean boy group SEVENTEEN and their fans, known as CARAT, using a naturalistic paradigm within a qualitative approach. Uses and Gratifications Theory serves as the main theoretical framework to understand fans’ motivations in choosing and utilizing digital platforms to fulfill their entertainment, social, and self-expression needs.
The research method employs structured interviews with five informants (CARAT), direct observation of SEVENTEEN’s Weverse channel, and data analysis using the Miles and Huberman model to ensure validity through triangulation. The findings indicate that chemistry is built through active fan interactions that strengthen fandom loyalty. However, challenges such as mistranslations in the auto-translate feature can hinder interaction and the formation of chemistry. This study fills a gap in previous research by more specifically discussing how chemistry is formed through interactions within social media platforms.