FROM EXCLUSIVITY TO ATTACHMENT: THE TRANSFORMATION OF IPHONE’S MEANING IN GENERATION Z’S SELF-PRESENTATION PRACTICES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58432/3dgd0w11Keywords:
iPhone, Generation Z, self-presentation, status symbol, brand attachmentAbstract
This study examines the symbolic meaning of the iPhone beyond its functional technological dimensions, particularly in the self-presentation practices of selected Indonesian Generation Z users. Rather than seeking statistical generalization, this exploratory study aims to understand how meanings are constructed through personal experiences and social interactions. Smartphones, and the iPhone in particular, are no longer regarded merely as communication tools but have been transformed into cultural artefacts that carry meanings of identity, social status, and self-expression. Using a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews, this research explores the experiences and perceptions of two female iPhone users representing two distinct patterns: a user with strong emotional attachment and brand identity, and a user who re-evaluates her choice on functional-rational grounds. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, anchored in Goffman’s impression management theory, Veblen’s conspicuous consumption, Belk’s extended self theory, and Blumer’s symbolic interactionism. The findings reveal that the iPhone functions as a caste marker within the digital social hierarchy of Gen Z, where ownership is closely tied to exclusivity, social acceptance, and identity construction. The study identifies a shift in meaning from exclusivity grounded in financial accessibility toward brand loyalty rooted in emotional attachment, in line with changing market conditions and the widening penetration of the iPhone across economic segments. At the same time, a form of functional resistance emerges from within the user community itself, reflecting a critical awareness of the symbolic construction embedded in the product. These findings enrich theoretical understandings of Goffman’s dramaturgical model in the digital era and offer practical implications for brand communication strategists.
Downloads
References
APJII. (2024). Survei Internet APJII 2024.
Baudrillard, J. (1981). For a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign. Telos Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=ZN4OAQAAMAAJ
Baudrillard, J., & Gallimard, É. (1977). La Société de consommation. Laffont. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=jST_0QEACAAJ
Belk, R. W. (1988). Possessions and the Extended Self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168. https://doi.org/10.1086/209154
Belk, R. W. (2013). Extended self in a digital world. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(3), 477–500. https://doi.org/10.1086/671052
Berger, J. (2016). Contagious: Why Things Catch On. Simon & Schuster. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=uyEODAAAQBAJ
Blumer, H. (1986). Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method. University of California Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=HVuognZFofoC
Boyd, D. (2014). It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. Yale University Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=p9u8AgAAQBAJ
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2017). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=gX1ZDwAAQBAJ
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2017). The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. Sage Publications.
Dimock, M. (2019). Defining Generations: Where Millennials End and Generation Z Begins. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
Francis, T., & Hoefel, F. (2018, November 12). ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies
Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=Sdt-cDkV8pQC
GWI. (2023). The Consumer Trends To Know For 2023. Global Web Index.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations (cetak ulan). SAGE, 2001.
Hogan, B. (2010). The Presentation of Self in the Age of Social Media: Distinguishing Performances and Exhibitions Online. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 30(6), 377–386. https://doi.org/10.1177/0270467610385893
Holt, D. B. (2004). How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding. Harvard Business School Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=PqfSW3zpvFoC
Kahney, L. (2019). Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level. Penguin Books Limited. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=A5xlDwAAQBAJ
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2015). Interviews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Malhotra, N. K. (2019). Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. Pearson. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=z2-cswEACAAJ
Marwick, A. E., & Boyd, D. (2011). I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twitter users, context collapse, and the imagined audience. New Media and Society, 13(1), 114–133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444810365313
Mason, R. S. (1981). Conspicuous Consumption: A Study of Exceptional Consumer Behaviour. Gower. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jg7sAAAAMAAJ
Mead, G. H., Morris, C. W., Huebner, D. R., & Joas, H. (2015). Mind, Self & Society. University of Chicago Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=22jtBwAAQBAJ
Meyrowitz, J. (1985). No Sense of Place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior. Oxford University Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=0Xx5Hm8M5g8C
Moorman, C. (2018). Why Apple Is Still A Great Marketer And What You Can Learn. Forbes.
Mulder, N. (2005). Inside Indonesian Society: Cultural Change in Java. Pepin Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=d7cuAQAAIAAJ
Papacharissi, Z. (2010). A Networked Self Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Network Sites (1st Editio). Routledge.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X0300300213
Pearson, E. (2009). All the world wide web’s a stage: The performance of identity in online social networks. First Monday, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v14i3.2162
Phuong, N. D., Quynh, P. H., & Hien, H. T. T. (2021). Supportive Work Environment and Teacher’s Innovative Work Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Informal Learning in Vietnam. Review of Economics and Finance, 19, 97–106. https://doi.org/10.55365/1923.X2021.19.10
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816
Samuelson, W., & Zeckhauser, R. (1988). Status quo bias in decision making. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 1(1), 7–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00055564
Toffoletti, K., & Mewett, P. (2014). Sport and Its Female Fans (1st Editio). Routledge.
Turkle, S. (2015). Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age. Penguin Publishing Group. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=POpJBgAAQBAJ
Twenge, J. M. (2017). IGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us. Atria Books. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=50MyDwAAQBAJ
Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Media Use Is Linked to Lower Psychological Well-Being: Evidence from Three Datasets. Psychiatric Quarterly, 90(2), 311–331. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-019-09630-7
Veblen, T. (2009). The Theory of the Leisure Class. Floating Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=kB_-XKJi7qUC
Whan Park, C., Maclnnis, D. J., Priester, J., Eisingerich, A. B., & Lacobucci, D. (2010). Brand attachment and brand attitude strength: Conceptual and empirical differentiation of two critical brand equity drivers. Journal of Marketing, 74(6), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.74.6.1
Wu, T. (2017). The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=mNkxDwAAQBAJ
Zhang, X., Wu, Y., & Liu, S. (2019). Exploring short-form video application addiction: Socio-technical and attachment perspectives. Telematics and Informatics, 42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2019.101243
Zhao, S., Grasmuck, S., & Martin, J. (2008). Identity construction on Facebook: Digital empowerment in anchored relationships. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(5), 1816–1836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2008.02.012
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fahmy Fotaleno, Liliyana (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
