Research Article
Reconstructing Virtual Life as Sultans: a Study of 4 Indonesian YouTubers
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.5-11-2022.2329454, author={Siti Khusnul Khotimah and Intan Dewi Savitri}, title={Reconstructing Virtual Life as Sultans: a Study of 4 Indonesian YouTubers}, proceedings={Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Entitled Language, Literary, And Cultural Studies, ICON LATERALS 2022, 05--06 November 2022, Malang, Indonesia}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={ICON LATERALS}, year={2023}, month={6}, keywords={sultan youtubers new media social identity social stratification}, doi={10.4108/eai.5-11-2022.2329454} }- Siti Khusnul Khotimah
Intan Dewi Savitri
Year: 2023
Reconstructing Virtual Life as Sultans: a Study of 4 Indonesian YouTubers
ICON LATERALS
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.5-11-2022.2329454
Abstract
The term "sultan" has undergone a change in meaning in popular culture. It is not just referring to a special nobility title for someone who rules the sultanate, but the identity is widely held by someone who has fantastic wealth. In the new media, individuals labeled as “sultans” mainly refer to well-known YouTubers. Using a qualitative method and psychosocial approach, this study aims to describe the materialistic, consumptive, and hedonic lifestyles and practices of 4 Indonesian YouTubers represented through new media in constructing their identity as ‘Sultan’. Researchers concluded that these YouTubers showed a materialistic, consumptive, and hedonic lifestyle in a structured and massive manner on YouTube with distinctive signs and patterns. The practices are their way of constructing social identity as 'sultan' which is classified into the upper class in the social stratification of materialistic society.
