Pengaruh Media Instagram Terhadap Kesadaran Representasi Gender Pada Remaja Generasi Z

Abstract

The development of social media, particularly Instagram, has influenced how Generation Z constructs and understands gender identity and sexuality. As a widely used visual platform, Instagram displays various forms of gender representation through photos, videos, captions, and the activities of public figures. These representations have the potential to shape Gen Z's understanding of self-exploration, acceptance of sexual orientation, and reinterpretation of gender norms. This study aims to analyse the influence of gender representation on Instagram on Generation Z's sexual awareness using a quantitative descriptive method through an online survey of 200 respondents aged 18–25 years. A simple linear regression test showed a significance value of 0.000 and an R² of 0.56, which means that gender representation explains 56% of the variation in Gen Z's sexual awareness. Empirically, public figures with diverse gender identities contribute to increasing respondents' understanding and tolerance, even though Instagram's algorithm still promotes conventional beauty standards. This study confirms that Instagram plays an important role in shaping Gen Z's sexual awareness and emphasises the need for digital media literacy to critically understand gender representation.

 Keywords: gender representation, sexual awareness, Generation, media literacy