<![CDATA[This study aims to explore online shopping practices among students at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at UPR as a manifestation of a digital lifestyle and a mechanism for acquiring symbolic capital. Using a qualitative approach with a case study at FISIP UPR, data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten informants selected through purposive sampling. The findings reveal that online shopping on Shopee has transformed from merely fulfilling functional needs into an arena of identity contestation. Students integrate shopping activities with the need to display their self-existence in the digital space, where renowned brands such as New Balance, Adidas, and Stone Island function as markers of identity (Bourdieu) that indirectly provide distinction or differentiate taste within peer groups. The platform’s algorithms and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) phenomenon reinforce digital dependency, creating a hyperreal space where the value of the sign is prioritized over the utilitarian value of the item. Additionally, limited physical access to global brand stores in Palangka Raya drives the use of Shopee as a machine for producing simulacra (Baudrillard) to align the social status of regional students with global trends. The desire to remain adaptable to these trends ultimately drives the adoption of digital credit systems. Although payment features such as SPayLater offer convenience, their use suggests a risk of obscuring financial reality in favor of a curated digital presence. This study concludes that students’ digital consumption practices constitute a complex strategy for negotiating identity within the structure of modern consumer society.]]>
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