The Formation Process of Emotional Support in a Digital Community of Single Mothers: An Analysis of Interaction on Instagram @singlemomsindonesia
Keywords:
Emotional Support; Digital Communities; Single Mothers; Instagram; Qualitative Content Analysis.Abstract
Digital communities have become important spaces for single mothers to share experiences, gain recognition, and build supportive relationships through social media. However, studies on emotional support in online communities have primarily focused on identifying types of support, with limited attention to how emotional support develops through user interactions. This study aims to analyze the process of emotional support formation within a digital community of single mothers by examining interactions in the comment section of the Instagram account @singlemomsindonesia. The study employed a qualitative approach using Qualitative Content Analysis. The data consisted of 60 communication units purposively selected from five posts published between March and May 2026 and analyzed through coding and recoding based on communicative functions. The findings indicate that emotional support develops as a gradual communication process. Interactions begin with the disclosure of personal experiences and vulnerability, followed by validation through shared experiences, and subsequently evolve into emotional support expressed through empathy, prayers, care, and encouragement. In some interactions, this process continues into reciprocal support exchange. These findings suggest that emotional support in digital communities is better understood as a communication process constructed through interconnected comments rather than merely as categories of supportive messages.
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