Kesenjangan Generasi Digital (Digital Generation Gap): Hambatan Komunikasi Interpersonal Orang Tua dan Anak Gen Z di Sman 1 Panggarangan Lebak Banten

Abstract

The digital generation gap in the sub-urban area of Lebak triggers a distortion in internal family relationships, as the majority of parents are digitally illiterate while their adolescent children are highly proficient in exploring cyberspace. This study aims to identify and analyze the various forms of manifest interpersonal communication barriers occurring between parents and Generation Z adolescents within the social environment of SMA Negeri 1 Panggarahan. The digital divide is proven to create a phenomenon of polarized communication spaces, a decrease in the intensity of face-to-face dialogue, and chronic miscommunication due to differences in cultural references massively adopted by children from global social media. The theoretical framework of this research comprehensively integrates the Digital Generation Gap Theory by Herring (2008) and the Social Penetration Theory by (Altman & Taylor, 1973) to dissect the depth of interpersonal family relationships. Grounded in the constructivist paradigm, this qualitative research applies Robert Stake’s case study design method to explore the uniqueness of family communication cases in depth through interview techniques and direct participant observation in the field. Data analysis was conducted through the stages of conceptualizing the thick description of the case, categorizing the themes of mechanical, psychological, and semantic barriers, and interpreting the holistic meaning of emotional intimacy built among nuclear family members. The study concludes that these interpersonal communication barriers can be reduced through collaborative technological adaptation by parents and the development of family digital literacy programs based on local wisdom values