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Abstract

Youth and social media are increasingly intertwined, as their socio-cultural trajectories accelerate digital connectedness and intensify the contestation of diverse identities. Posting on social media has thus become a ritualized practice. This article explores how Indonesian university students construct identities by sharing achievement stories and success narratives on Instagram. Using qualitative data, it examines the experiences of students who have excelled in academic competitions. The study identifies two key typologies behind such posts. Firstly, personal determinism, aimed at self- reward and self-branding. Secondly, social motivation, focused on inspiring peers and building supportive networks to achieve academic success. These typologies reflect a shift in ritual practices, from sacred, magical traditions emphasized in classical sociology and anthropology, to everyday, mediated acts as conceptualized in Goffman’s sociology. Such digital rituals represent a broader transformation of daily practices into a digital culture.

Abstrak

Pemuda dan media sosial semakin saling terkait, karena lintasan sosial-budaya mereka mempercepat keterhubungan digital dan meningkatkan kontestasi identitas yang beragam. Dengan demikian, mengunggah konten di media sosial telah menjadi praktik yang ritualistik. Artikel ini mengeksplorasi bagaimana mahasiswa Indonesia membangun identitas dengan berbagi kisah prestasi dan narasi kesuksesan di Instagram. Dengan menggunakan data kualitatif, artikel ini meneliti pengalaman mahasiswa yang unggul dalam kompetisi akademis. Studi ini mengidentifikasi dua tipologi utama di balik unggahan tersebut. Pertama, determinisme pribadi, yang ditujukan untuk penghargaan-diri dan pencitraan- diri. Kedua, motivasi sosial, yang difokuskan pada menginspirasi rekan sejawat dan membangun jaringan pendukung untuk mencapai keberhasilan akademis. Tipologi ini mencerminkan pergeseran praktik ritual, dari tradisi sakral dan magis yang ditekankan dalam sosiologi dan antropologi klasik, menjadi tindakan sehari-hari yang dimediasi seperti yang dikonseptualisasikan dalam sosiologi Goffman. Ritual digital semacam itu merepresentasikan transformasi praktik sehari-hari yang lebih luas menjadi budaya digital.

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