ANALISIS DISTORSI KOGNITIF PENGGUNA MEDIA SOSIAL PADA GENERASI Z DI JAKARTA

Abstrak

Social media has brought about significant changes in the patterns of human interaction in the digital age. Its presence has not only transformed the way individuals communicate but has also influenced how society acquires, processes, and disseminates information. Various surveys indicate that the main reasons people use social media are to interact with others, seek information, find inspiration, stay updated on current issues, and participate in popular trends. However, behind these conveniences, social media also has the potential to negatively impact how individuals understand and interpret information. The rapid flow of information, coupled with a large amount of unverified content, can influence users’ thought processes, leading to errors in processing the information they receive. Messages continuously received through social media also have the potential to influence a person’s perceptions, attitudes, and even behavior. This qualitative study was conducted among Generation Z in Jakarta using in-depth interviews to understand how exposure to information on social media affects their cognitive processes. The results of the study show that information received through social media tends to lead to cognitive distortions. The three most prevalent forms of cognitive distortion identified in this study are overgeneralization, jumping to conclusions, and emotional reasoning. These three forms of distortion indicate that information consumed through social media is not always processed critically but is often influenced by assumptions, emotions, and excessive generalizations, thereby potentially affecting the quality of decision-making and the way individuals perceive reality.