A team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), participating in the Student Creativity Program for Social Sciences and Humanities Research (PKM-RSH), is conducting a study on the phenomenon of “Angry Communities” (Komunitas Marah-Marah) on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. This online community has drawn attention as a space where users express anger, frustration, and discontent in the digital sphere.
The UGM PKM-RSH team seeks to understand how the community functions both as a safe space and a toxic space for its members. Under the theme “Between Safe Space and Toxic Space: A Media Ecology Study of the Angry Community on Social Media X,” the research examines patterns of digital communication within the community and broader social media habits in Indonesia.
The research team from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM) consists of Muh Faiq Fauzan, Fanisa Ratna Dewi, Debora Magdalena Marchya Sihombing, Muhammad Syukur Shidiq, and Adelia Pradipta Nasyaputri.
They are supervised by Fisipol UGM lecturer Mashita Phitaloka Fandia Purwaningtyas.
According to team leader Muh Faiq Fauzan, as one of the largest social media platforms in Indonesia, X provides community features that foster interactions based on shared interests and emotions.
Initially intended as a space for stress relief and venting negative emotions, the Angry Community has evolved into a highly active and dynamic forum.
Its rapid growth, however, has also given rise to issues such as hate speech, personal attacks, and digital discrimination.
“We were drawn to study the Angry Community because of its significant growth. In just one year, membership tripled to one million. This indicates that more people feel the need for an outlet to release emotions on social media,” explained Fauzan on Friday (Sep. 19).
To analyze the phenomenon, Fauzan noted that the team applied Marshall McLuhan’s Media Ecology Theory, which highlights how media not only deliver messages but also shape patterns of thought and interaction.
On X, features such as retweets, open comments, and algorithmic systems play a central role in influencing the dynamics of communication within the community.
In line with this framework, the team employed a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
They began with participatory observation to map communication patterns within the community, followed by surveys of “Angry Community” members and in-depth interviews to explore perceptions of comfort, safety, and risks in the digital space.
“From our initial findings, the Angry Community shows two contrasting sides. On one hand, it offers users a space to express themselves without fear of judgment and fosters emotional connection. On the other hand, it also becomes fertile ground for negative and discriminatory comments, privacy violations, and even cyberbullying,” Fauzan said.
He explained that a single post could attract supportive and empathetic responses while simultaneously drawing offensive or derogatory remarks. According to Fauzan, this complexity is what motivated the team to conduct the study.
Through the research, they aim to contribute to strengthening digital literacy in Indonesia, particularly in building more inclusive and empathetic online spaces.
In addition to producing scientific reports and academic publications, the team plans to launch an educational campaign to raise public awareness about digital ethics and the boundaries of expression on social media.
“The research findings are also expected to support policymaking by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia through a policy brief that emphasizes digital ethics and the development of a netizen culture that is critical, empathetic, and responsible,” Fauzan added.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya