PERAN ALGORITMA MEDIA SOSIAL DALAM PEMBENTUKAN OPINI POLITIK GENERASI Z DI ERA DIGITAL

Holifaturrohmah (Komunikasi Dan Penyiaran Islam, Institut Al Fithrah Surabaya)
Moch Syaiful Ridwan (Komunikasi Dan Penyiaran Islam, Institut Al Fithrah Surabaya)

Hujjah: Jurnal Ilmiah Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2026): Hujjah: Jurnal Ilmiah Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam

The advancement of social media algorithms has transformed the way Generation Z consumes political information through personalized content recommendation systems based on users' online activities. Although previous studies have extensively examined the influence of social media on political participation, limited attention has been paid to users' lived experiences in understanding how algorithmic personalization shapes political opinion formation. This study aims to analyze how social media algorithms influence the reception of political information and contribute to the formation of political opinions among Generation Z in Indonesia. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten university students who actively use TikTok and Instagram and have interacted with political content on these platforms. Digital documentation was also utilized to support data triangulation. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in participants' experiences of consuming political information. The findings reveal that most participants were exposed to political content passively through algorithmic recommendation systems rather than through intentional information seeking. Users' interaction patterns, including watch time, likes, and comments, served as the primary basis for content personalization, resulting in repeated exposure to similar political perspectives. Furthermore, participants tended to evaluate the credibility of political information based on social heuristics, such as trust in content creators and validation from comment sections, rather than through direct source verification. These findings suggest that social media algorithms function not only as mechanisms for information distribution but also as influential agents in constructing personalized information environments that shape Generation Z's political opinion formation. This study contributes to the field of digital communication by demonstrating the relationship between media use motivations, as explained by the Uses and Gratifications Theory, and algorithmic personalization in shaping users' experiences of political information consumption.