Multiple Digital Selves: Negosiasi dan Fragmentasi Identitas pada Multi-Account Instagram Generasi Z

Ruth Putryani Saragih

Abstract


The phenomenon of multiple Instagram account ownership (multi-account) among Generation Z has shifted Erving Goffman’s traditional dramaturgical theory from a duality of stages into multiple stages. This study aims to analyze in depth how Generation Z negotiates their multi-account stages and interprets identity fragmentation amid diverse digital identities (multiple digital selves). The approach used in this study is qualitative with a phenomenological research design. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 Generation Z student informants who actively manage at least 3 Instagram accounts, supplemented by document observations of the informants’ Instagram accounts. The results show that Generation Z’s digital space has evolved into a complex ecosystem of stages, even extending to the off-stage realm through private accounts without an audience. Impression management is carried out consciously and systematically, with the primary account functioning as a formal stage with strict aesthetic standards, whereas alternative accounts serve as a backstage with more relaxed rules. This study concludes that managing multiple digital stages does not result in negative identity fragmentation, but instead gives rise to a complementary integration. All accounts represent a whole yet complex self, segmented by context and audience. The level of identity fragmentation is not determined by the number of accounts owned, but by the extent of the identity gap that must be bridged between stages.

Keywords


Multi-Account Instagram, Dramaturgical, Fragmentation, Identity Negotiation

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alamsyah, A. G., Ardelisma, A., & al, e. (2025). Second Instagram accounts: A study of Generation Z's Self-Identity in Medan. Satwika: Kajian Ilmu Budaya dan Perubahan Sosial.

APJII. (2025). Survei Penetrasi Internet dan Perilaku Penggunaan Internet 2025. Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia.

Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday Anchor Books.

Hastuti, D. R., Ali, M. S., Demmallino, E. B., & Rahmadanih. (2018). RINGKASAN KUMPULAN MAZHAB TEORI SOSIAL (Biografi, Sejarah, Teori, dan Kritikan) .

Iloen, A. S., & Kusumiati, R. Y. (2026). Social Media Dynamics: Interpersonal Trust and Self-Disclosure on Instagram Second Accounts. Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Terapan.

Kemp, S. (2025). Digital 2025: Global Overview Report. DataReportal.

Littlejohn, S. W. (2005). Theories of Human Communication (fifth edition). Belmont California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Musta'in. (2010). “TEORI DIRI” SEBUAH TAFSIR MAKNA SIMBOLIK (PENDEKATAN TEORI DRAMATURGI ERVING GOFFMAN). Komunika: Jurnal Dakwah dan Komunikasi.

Mokos, I. E., & Salehudin. (2025). Konstruksi Identitas Diri Remaja di Media Sosial: Analisis Konsep Dramaturgi Erving Goffman. MUKASI: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 638-649.

Nasir, A., & al, e. (2023). Pendekatan Fenomenologi Dalam Penelitian Kualitatif. INNOVATIVE: Journal Of Social Science Research.

Nugraha, I., Sukmarini, A. V., & Yusuf, M. (2023). Second Account Instagram as Gen Z's Self Identity: A Study of Cultural Phenomenon of Self-Expression. Journal La Sociale.

Putranto, T. D., Murwani, E., & Prasetyo, D. (2025). Instagram multiple accounts: a self-presentation by Generation Z. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi.

SlateTeam. (2025). Understanding Gen Z and Social Media Use in 2025. Slate.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30813/s:jk.v20i1.10012

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Ruth Putryani Saragih

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Publisher

Editorial Board SEMIOTIKA: Jurnal Komunikasi
Department of Communication
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
"UNIVERSITAS BUNDA MULIA"
Lodan Raya St No.2,  North Jakarta 14430
Phone: +62 21 692 9090 ext. 348
Email: [email protected]