AVATAR SEBAGAI MEDIA PRESENTASI DIRI PENGGUNA ROBLOX DI RUANG VIRTUAL

Abstract

The growth of digital space has positioned Roblox as a popular metaverse platform among adolescents, with avatar customization serving as the primary means of identity formation in virtual space. Altering an avatar's appearance is not merely aesthetic but constitutes a form of self-presentation as described in Erving Goffman's dramaturgical theory, an individual's effort to manage impressions before others. This study aims to gain an in-depth understanding of how avatars are used by Roblox users as a medium of self-presentation in virtual space, covering audience awareness, impression management, and digital identity formation. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach with a netnographic strategy and document study of Roblox's avatar-customization features, analyzed through Goffman's dramaturgical framework and Belk's concept of symbolic consumption. Data were gathered through observation of avatar-customization practices and a review of prior literature, then analyzed with an interactive model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with credibility examined through source triangulation. The findings show that avatars function as a front stage where users present an idealized self, revealing five main patterns: awareness of others' judgment, actor-audience relations, impression management through item selection, division of the virtual stage, and a fluid, context-dependent digital identity. These findings affirm that avatars are not merely visual representations within a game but a symbolic medium actively used by adolescents to build and negotiate self-image in virtual space.