ABSTRAK

Agustina 2025. “Iphone Sebagai Social Climber – Studi Kasus Pada Mahasiswa Program Studi Sosiologi Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Universitas Lambung Mangkurat Banjarmasin” (Dibimbing oleh Siti Zulaikha, S.sos., M.Sos)

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh fenomena bahwa penggunaan Iphone tidak hanya dilihat sebagai alat komunikasi, tetapi juga sebagai simbol status sosial di kalangan mahasiswa. Dengan teori masyarakat konsumsi Jean Baudrillard, penelitian ini menganalisis peran Iphone sebagai tanda sosial yang mempengaruhi gaya hidup, identitas, serta tindakan social climber mahasiswa FISIP ULM Banjarmasin. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah memahami bagaimana dampak Iphone membentuk pola makna dan perilaku yang mendorong praktik konsumsi simbolis terkait pencitraan diri dan kebutuhan akan pengakuan sosial.

Metode penelitian menggunakan kualitatif deskriptif dengan pendekatan studi kasus melalui observasi, wawancara mendalam dengan teknik snowball sampling, serta dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan Iphone menciptakan dua pola gaya hidup mahasiswa, yaitu FOMO (fear of missing out) dan konsumtif. Bagi sebagian mahasiswa, Iphone menjadi sarana menampilkan citra diri, meraih pengakuan sosial, dan memperkuat eksistensi di media sosial. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa kepemilikan Iphone berperan dalam proses social climber meskipun memunculkan tekanan ekonomi dan pencitraan yang semu. Kesimpulannya, Iphone memiliki dua unsur: sebagai perangkat teknologi sekaligus simbol prestise dan privilege yang menpengaruhi realitas sosial mahasiswa modern.

Kata Kunci: Iphone, social climber, konsumsi simbolis, gaya hidup

ABSTRACK

Agustina 2025. “Iphone as a Social Climber – A Case Study of Students in the Sociology programs at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Lambung Mangkurat University Banjarmasin” (Supervised by Siti Zulaikha, S.Sos., M.Sos).

This study is motivated by the phenomenon in which the use of the Iphone is not only perceived as a communication device but also as a symbol of social status among university students. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard’s theory of consumer society, this research analyzes the role of the Iphone as a social sign that influences lifestyle, identity formation, and social climber behavior among students of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at ULM Banjarmasin. The purpose of this study is to understand how the presence of the Iphone shapes patterns of meaning and student behavior that encourage symbolic consumption practices related to self-imaging and the desire for social recognition.

This research employs a descriptive qualitative method with a case study approach. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews using snowball sampling techniques, and documentation. The findings reveal that the use of the Iphone produces two lifestyle patterns among students, namely FOMO (fear of missing out) and consumptive tendencies. For some students, the Iphone functions as a medium for displaying self-image, gaining social acknowledgment, and strengthening their presence on social media. The results also indicate that Iphone ownership contributes to the social climber process, despite generating economic pressure and creating an illusory form of self-presentation. In conclusion, the Iphone embodies dual elements: it serves as a technological device and simultaneously as a symbol of prestige and privilege that shapes the social reality of modern university students.

Keywords: Iphone, social climber, symbolic consumption, lifestyle