Micropolitics of Digital Intimacy: Non-Electoral Political Communication Among Bumble Users in Platform Society

Micro Politics in Platform Society

Authors

  • Jamalullail Universitas Dian Nusantara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37826/spektrum.v14i2.1220

Keywords:

non-electoral political communication, Dating Apps, Bumble, Micropolitics , Platform Governance

Abstract

In the context of digital intimate relationships, this research looks at user interactions on the dating app Bumble as a platform for non-electoral politics. This research argues that power functions via everyday communicative practices made possible by digital platforms in addition to electoral-focused strategies in political communication studies. Instead of being purely private spaces cut off from power dynamics in the context of platform culture, personal relationships are increasingly social arenas where visibility, recognition, and vulnerability are continuously contested. In addition to interface walkthroughs and an analysis of platform policy documents, the study uses an interpretive qualitative technique that includes in-depth interviews with active Bumble users in urban settings. Intimate digital connections may be analysed as social practices impacted by platform design and governance as well as subjective experiences thanks to this analytical method. The results show that in addition to controlling technical interaction, mechanisms like swiping, algorithmic matching, time-limited conversations, and the "women make the first move" feature represent a type of relational governance that leads to unequal vulnerability, visibility, and acknowledgement. Self-presentation, self-disclosure, and ghosting are examples of how users manage identity, risk, and emotion within complex power structures embedded in platform designs and interactional norms. The results imply that rather than via overt dominance, power is used in digital intimate relationships as micro-political arenas where speed, attentiveness, and behavioural norms are regulated. By including platform governance and politics-as-practice viewpoints into the study of modern digital connections, this paper theoretically expands political communication studies by validating individual communicative activities as a crucial site of political analysis.

Author Biography

Jamalullail, Universitas Dian Nusantara

Dalam konteks hubungan intim digital, penelitian ini menganalisis interaksi pengguna di aplikasi kencan Bumble sebagai platform untuk politik non-elektoral. Penelitian ini berargumen bahwa kekuasaan berfungsi melalui praktik komunikasi sehari-hari yang dimungkinkan oleh platform digital, selain strategi yang berfokus pada pemilihan dalam studi komunikasi politik. Alih-alih menjadi ruang pribadi yang terisolasi dari dinamika kekuasaan dalam konteks budaya platform, hubungan pribadi semakin menjadi arena sosial di mana visibilitas, pengakuan, dan kerentanan terus-menerus diperdebatkan. Selain tinjauan antarmuka dan analisis dokumen kebijakan platform, studi ini menggunakan teknik kualitatif interpretatif yang mencakup wawancara mendalam dengan pengguna aktif Bumble di lingkungan perkotaan. Koneksi digital intim dapat dianalisis sebagai praktik sosial yang dipengaruhi oleh desain dan tata kelola platform serta sebagai pengalaman subjektif berkat metode analitis ini. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa selain mengontrol interaksi teknis, mekanisme seperti swiping, pencocokan algoritmik, percakapan berbatas waktu, dan fitur “wanita yang memulai langkah pertama” mewakili jenis tata kelola relasional yang menyebabkan kerentanan, visibilitas, dan pengakuan yang tidak setara. Presentasi diri, pengungkapan diri, dan ghosting adalah contoh bagaimana pengguna mengelola identitas, risiko, dan emosi dalam struktur kekuasaan kompleks yang tertanam dalam desain platform dan norma interaksi. Hasil penelitian menyiratkan bahwa kekuasaan dalam hubungan intim digital tidak digunakan melalui dominasi yang terang-terangan, melainkan sebagai arena mikro-politik di mana kecepatan, perhatian, dan norma perilaku diatur. Dengan memasukkan perspektif tata kelola platform dan politik sebagai praktik ke dalam studi hubungan digital modern, artikel ini secara teoritis memperluas studi komunikasi politik dengan mengonfirmasi aktivitas komunikatif individu sebagai situs analisis politik yang krusial.

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Published

2026-06-30

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Vol. 14 No. 2 (2026): Jurnal Spektrum Komunikasi : June 2026

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