Studi tentang Komunikasi Virtual Remaja Desa Pebenaan Melalui Platform Game Online

The phenomenon of increasing use of online games among teenagers in Pebenaan Village, Indragiri Hilir Regency, shows a shift in communication patterns from the real world to the virtual world. Online games no longer only serve as entertainment, but also become a significant space for social communication. This research aims to identify teenagers' motives for using online games as a communication medium, understand the communication process that occurs, and evaluate its impact on their social behavior. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data was collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation and documentation. The research informants were teenagers aged 13–19 years who actively played online games in Pebenaan Village. The research results show that the main motives of teenagers include entertainment, escape from boredom, social acceptance, and expanding friendship networks. The communication process in online games occurs through text chat, voice chat, and symbols such as emotes, which allows spontaneous and flexible interaction. Positive impacts include increasing collaboration skills and expanding social networks, while negative impacts include decreasing the intensity of real-world interactions and the use of abusive language. This research concludes that online games offer opportunities and challenges for teenagers' communication patterns, so wise management is needed to exploit their positive potential without ignoring the risks that may arise.