Perceptions of Early Adult Women Toward the Narrative #MarriageIsScary on the TikTok Account @bobahagia19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62951/momat.v1i4.486Keywords:
Interpersonal Communication, Single Mothers, Fatherlessness, Family Communication, Bekasi CityAbstract
The institution of marriage in Indonesia has long been considered a social and moral milestone. However, in the digital era, shifting gender roles and the rise of social media have significantly transformed how young women perceive marriage. This study aims to explore the perceptions of early adult women (aged 18–25) toward the #MarriageIsScary narrative on TikTok, focusing on content from the account @bobahagia19. The research employs a qualitative descriptive approach using interviews, observations, and content analysis of selected TikTok videos. The findings reveal that the #MarriageIsScary trend represents a collective expression of emotional anxiety, self-awareness, and social critique of traditional marriage norms. Participants perceived marriage as an uncertain institution, often associated with emotional instability, betrayal, and loss of autonomy. Yet, the same discourse also fostered empowerment and solidarity among women, forming what scholars describe as digital sisterhood. The discussion integrates sociological and media theories (Giddens, 1992; Papacharissi, 2015; Banet-Weiser, 2018) to illustrate how digital narratives both reflect and reshape cultural meanings of marriage in contemporary Indonesia. Overall, the study concludes that TikTok functions as a participatory space where young women redefine marital expectations through shared emotions, storytelling, and online community engagement.
Downloads
References
Abidin, C. (2020). Communicative intimacies: Influencers and perceived interconnectedness. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Ahmed, S. (2014). The cultural politics of emotion (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Alexander. (2022). Perempuan dan perubahan sosial di era digital. Bandung: Alfabeta.
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2024). Statistik Indonesia 2024. Jakarta: BPS.
Banet-Weiser, S. (2018). Empowered: Popular feminism and popular misogyny. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Bauman, Z. (2003). Liquid love: On the frailty of human bonds. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Beck, U., & Beck-Gernsheim, E. (2002). Individualization: Institutionalized individualism and its social and political consequences. London: SAGE.
Cahyono, A. N. (2016). Pengaruh media sosial terhadap perubahan sosial masyarakat. Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 2(1), 65–78.
Febriantika, D. (2024). TikTok sebagai media ekspresi digital generasi muda. Surabaya: Airlangga University Press.
Fuchs, C. (2021). Social media: A critical introduction (3rd ed.). London: SAGE.
Giddens, A. (1992). The transformation of intimacy: Sexuality, love and eroticism in modern societies. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Gill, R., & Orgad, S. (2018). The shifting terrain of sex and power: From #MeToo to postfeminism. Feminist Media Studies, 18(4), 471–491. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1494612
Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Hurlock, E. (2011). Psikologi perkembangan: Suatu pendekatan sepanjang rentang kehidupan. Jakarta: Erlangga.
Illouz, E. (2007). Cold intimacies: The making of emotional capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York: NYU Press.
Jones, G. W. (2017). Changing marriage patterns in Asia. Asian Population Studies, 13(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2017.1289040
Karamat. (2016). Women delaying marriage: Causes and implications. Journal of Social Studies, 4(1), 77–89.
Kusumawati. (2019). Fenomena menunda pernikahan di kalangan generasi muda Indonesia. Jurnal Sosiologi Modern, 8(2), 101–119.
Lestari, D., et al. (2024). Pendidikan, karir, dan pernikahan di kalangan generasi muda. Jakarta: Prenadamedia.
Lybertha, D. P., & Desiningrum, D. R. (2016). Kematangan emosi dan persepsi terhadap pernikahan pada dewasa awal. Jurnal Psikologi Undip, 15(2), 87–98.
M. Habib Aji. (2025). Fenomena tren pernikahan menakutkan di media sosial: Studi tematik gambaran pernikahan dalam Al-Qur’an. Jurnal Studi Islam Digital, 2(1), 34–50.
Ma’romah, L. (2020). Firefighters as educators: Expanding roles in community safety. Jurnal Manajemen Bencana Indonesia, 4(1), 33–41.
Maharani, Y. D. (2022). Gambaran tingkat kecemasan perempuan menikah dini di Kecamatan Kepil Kabupaten Wonosobo. Jurnal Psikologi Sosial, 4(1), 60–75.
Marwick, A. E., & boyd, d. (2011). To see and be seen: Celebrity practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 17(2), 139–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856510394539
Maulana. (2025). Tren Marriage Is Scary di TikTok: Analisis naratif kontemporer. Jurnal Komunikasi Digital, 7(1), 45–59.
Pahlevi. (2023). Ketimpangan gender di Indonesia: Perspektif kebijakan publik. Jakarta: LP3ES.
Papacharissi, Z. (2015). Affective publics: Sentiment, technology, and politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Santrock, J. (2019). Life-span development. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Syafiq, M. (2024). Peran influencer di media sosial terhadap tren Married is Scary (Analisis Maqashid Syariah). Jurnal Komunikasi Islam, 12(1), 15–33.
Yuwanda Zanuba Khafsoh. (2025). Fenomena konten Marriage Is Scary pada media sosial perspektif Sadd al-Dzari’ah. Jurnal Hukum dan Media Islam, 4(1), 12–28.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Momentum Matrix: International Journal of Communication, Tourism, and Social Economic Trends
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
