Eskapisme dalam Genggaman: Studi Kasus pada Perilaku Digital Hoarding Konten Destinasi Wisata

Abstract

The development of digital technology has given rise to new behavioral patterns in information consumption, one of which is the phenomenon of digital hoarding of tourism destination content on social media by Generation Z. This study aims to explore the interaction between the dynamics of psychological escapism, social media affordances, and the shifting cultural meaning of mediatized tourism among Generation Z. Utilizing a qualitative approach within the interpretivism paradigm and a collective case study strategy, data were collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving four Gen Z informants who actively collect travel content on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Data analysis was conducted using a thematic analysis approach that integrates cross-case pattern analysis and within-case analysis. The results indicate that travel content storage strategies vary from self-structured methods using the "collection" feature to social and collaborative approaches via Direct Messages (DM) and exporting data to Google Sheets for sharing with friends. The motivation behind saving content is dominated by instrumental-practical reasons regarding informative content, which serves as a psychological coping mechanism and a form of escapism, even if not directly realized by the informants and incapable of replacing the authenticity of a physical on-site experience. Based on a behavioral continuum, the informants in this study are classified into "digital collector" and "traditional hoarder" types, where content accumulation tends to be maintained as a future wishlist without triggering significant negative psychological impacts. The findings demonstrate that digital hoarding of travel content among Generation Z is a mediatized practice that bridges the gap between the limitations of reality and the need for imaginative travel through the optimization of platform technology features.