STRATEGI KOMUNIKASI GENERASI Z DALAM MENGGUNAKAN FITUR CLOSE FRIENDS INSTAGRAM UNTUK MENJAGA EKSPRESI DIRI DAN PRIVASI (Studi pada Mahasiswa Ilmu Komunikasi Angkatan 2022 Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang)

This study examines the communication strategies employed by Generation Z in utilizing Instagram's Close Friends feature to maintain self-expression and privacy among Communication Science students from the 2022 cohort at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang. The research is motivated by the increasing use of social media as a platform for self-expression, alongside the need to manage boundaries between public and private spaces. This study adopts the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory to understand how individuals regulate, restrict, and negotiate personal information shared with specific audiences on social media.

The objective of this research is to describe the communication strategies used by Generation Z in utilizing the Close Friends feature and to identify the factors influencing its use. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation involving five informants selected through purposive sampling.

The findings reveal that the Close Friends feature serves as a selective communication strategy that enables users to limit audiences, protect privacy, and create a more authentic space for self-expression. These strategies are implemented through audience selection based on closeness and trust, the delivery of more personal messages, and content management tailored to the desired social context. The findings further demonstrate that the use of Close Friends aligns with CPM theory, as individuals exercise ownership over their personal information, establish privacy rules, regulate access to information, and avoid violations of privacy boundaries in digital communication.