Person's Attachment to Their Country: Identity Fusion Regarding the Online Radicalization Issues

Online radicalization is a new threat because we all have activities in the online world. As the highest number of social media users, university students are one of the most vulnerable to exposure to online radicalization content. Many efforts have been made to eradicate radicalization. At the individual level, an intense identity fusion between individuals and their countries will become a potential effort. This research was conducted to provide an overview of the conditions of student’s identity fusion with their country and the experiences of online radicalization. The description of these two things becomes the basis for mapping the needs of identity fusion and online radicalization experienced by students. This research used qualitative methods with thematic analysis of the 217 respondents who answered the open-ended questionnaire. The research results show that respondents have a relatively strong sense of identity, characterized by positive feelings towards the country, reciprocal contributions between the individual and the country, and feelings of attachment to the country. Meanwhile, students' experiences of online radicalism are seen in the form of non-violent radicalization. It is hoped that strong identity fusion can prevent individuals from radical activities that lead to extreme actions and violence.