The Relationship Between Social Media Use and Interpersonal Communication Skills Among Vocational High School Students in West Jakarta Barat

Abstract

Background: Excessive use of social media can reduce the quality of face-to-face interactions, even though direct interaction is very important in forming emotional closeness between individuals. In the context of education, interpersonal communication skills are an important aspect that supports students' social and academic development. This study aims to determine the relationship between social media use and interpersonal communication skills among students at SMKS X in West Jakarta. This study employs a quantitative method with a cross-sectional correlational approach. The sampling technique used is purposive sampling, with a population of 552 students from grades XI and XII. The sample size consists of 85 respondents. The data collection instrument used in this study is a closed-ended questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using the Chi-square statistical test. The analysis results showed a p-value of 0.015, which is smaller than the significance level (α) of 0.05. Thus, there is a significant relationship between social media use and interpersonal communication skills among students at SMKS X in West Jakarta. The results of this study indicate that the higher the frequency of uncontrolled social media use, the lower the students' interpersonal communication skills. Therefore, it is important for students, teachers, and parents to educate and limit social media use wisely to avoid negative impacts.