The Influence of Instagram @wantja's Exposure on the Level of Knowledge of Instagram Followers about Mental Health

Abstract

Mental health is an important indicator in determining an individual's quality of life. Individuals experiencing mental health disorders generally show a decline in productivity in daily activities. Maintaining mental health requires consistent efforts, such as consulting with psychologists or watching programs engaging with content that offers tips on mental health, like the account @wantja. The Instagram account @wantja is one of the accounts that frequently shares content emphasizing the importance of maintaining mental health and self-awareness. This research aims to determine whether there is an influence of the exposure to the Instagram account @wantja on the followers' knowledge about mental health, focusing on three main variable indicators: frequency, duration, and intensity of viewing. In addition, this research examines control variables, namely Gender and Education. This study utilizes George Gerbner's Cultivation Theory, which posits that prolonged exposure to media content shapes the audience's perceptions and knowledge.Data was collected through an online survey of 100 followers of the Instagram account @wantja (ages 16-27), selected through purposive sampling with a margin of error of 10%.This research employs a quantitative approach. The research findings indicate that the frequency, duration, and intensity of viewing significantly influence the knowledge, awareness, and comprehension of followers regarding mental health. Intensity of viewing shows the strongest influence, followed by frequency and duration. Furthermore, the results of the tests on the control variables of gender and education level also indicate that there is no significant effect. This means that all Instagram followers are equally influenced by the exposure to the content of @wantja in shaping their level of knowledge about health, regardless of the gender and education level of the Instagram followers.