The Role of Instagram in Parents' School Selection Decision-Making Process
Keywords:
Instagram, Parent decision-making, School choice, Social mediaAbstract
This study examines the role of Instagram in parents' school selection decision-making process. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the research was conducted in Cakung District, East Jakarta, and involved five mothers of prospective students who had accessed school-related information on Instagram. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with NVivo 15 to support case classification, coding, thematic development, and visualization. The findings show that Instagram serves as an initial gateway to information, increasing school awareness and familiarity through repeated exposure. Parents then use visual content to assess school activities, facilities, learning environments, religious education, and student experiences. Trust develops gradually through consistent posting, perceived transparency, and responsiveness, but parents do not rely on Instagram alone. They verify information through comments, other parents, family discussions, alternative sources, and direct observation. The decision-making process, therefore, follows a digital-to-interpersonal pathway comprising information seeking, visual assessment, trust formation, verification, school comparison, family deliberation, and decision confirmation. Instagram supports, rather than independently determines, the final school choice
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