Pengaruh Peer Group terhadap Karakter Digital pada Siswa SMA Negeri 1 Tanjungbalai

Abstract

Perkembangan teknologi digital mengubah pola interaksi remaja, termasuk di sekolah, melalui media sosial maupun platform daring sebagai ruang utama berkomunikasi, ini membuka peluang memperluas wawasan, tetapi juga menimbulkan tantangan etika digital. Peer group menurut Brown & Larson, diukur melalui frekuensi interaksi (intensitas komunikasi, keterlibatan konsisten, partisipasi diskusi), dukungan emosional (perhatian, empati, motivasi sosial, dukungan akademik), dan pengaruh teman sebaya (konformitas norma, penyesuaian sikap, peniruan perilaku positif). Karakter digital diukur melalui tiga aspek menurut Ribble, yaitu kesadaran etika digital (bahasa sopan, menghormati perbedaan, mengelola konflik), tanggung jawab digital (fact-checking, penyebaran aman, pengelolaan konten salah), serta keamanan digital (kontrol emosi, pemahaman terhadap teman, sikap positif pada perbedaan). Penelitian ini bertujuan menguji pengaruh peer group terhadap karakter digital siswa SMA Negeri 1 Tanjungbalai dengan pendekatan kuantitatif. Populasi penelitian 160 siswa, sampel penelitian 100 siswa dengan teknik purposive, menggunakan instrumen skala peer group dan karakter digital yang telah teruji validitas serta reliabilitasnya. Instrumen penelitian skala peer group (25 item) dan karakter digital (24 item), validitas (r hitung > 0,196) dan reliabilitas tinggi (α = 0,925 dan 0,914). Hasil analisis deskriptif menunjukkan rata-rata peer group (M = 106,98) dan karakter digital (M = 111,02) termasuk kategori tinggi. Uji korelasi Pearson r = 0,604 dengan p = 0,000, menunjukkan hubungan positif signifikan. Analisis regresi sederhana persamaan Y = 58,979 + 0,490X dengan koefisien determinasi R² = 0,365, yang berarti peer group berkontribusi 36,5% terhadap karakter digital. Hasil ini menegaskan peran peer group dalam pembentukan karakter digital dan pentingnya pembinaan kelompok sebaya yang sehat di era teknologi. The development of digital technology has changed the patterns of interaction among adolescents, including at school, through social media and online platforms as the main space for communication. This opens up opportunities to broaden their horizons, but also raises challenges in terms of digital ethics. According to Brown & Larson, peer groups are measured by the frequency of interaction (intensity of communication, consistent involvement, participation in discussions), emotional support (attention, empathy, social motivation, academic support), and peer influence (conformity to norms, attitude adjustment, imitation of positive behavior). Digital character is measured through three aspects according to Ribble, namely digital ethics awareness (polite language, respect for differences, conflict management), digital responsibility (fact-checking, safe dissemination, misinformation management), and digital security (emotional control, understanding of friends, positive attitude towards differences). This study aims to examine the influence of peer groups on the digital character of students at Tanjungbalai 1 Public High School using a quantitative approach. The study population consisted of 160 students, and the sample consisted of 100 students selected using a purposive technique. The study used peer group and digital character scales that had been tested for validity and reliability. The research instruments were a peer group scale (25 items) and a digital character scale (24 items), with high validity (r count > 0.196) and reliability (α = 0.925 and 0.914). The descriptive analysis results showed that the average peer group (M = 106.98) and digital character (M = 111.02) scores were in the high category. The Pearson correlation test r = 0.604 with p = 0.000 showed a significant positive relationship. Simple regression analysis of the equation Y = 58.979 + 0.490X with a coefficient of determination R² = 0.365 indicates that peer groups contribute 36.5% to digital character. These results confirm the role of peer groups in shaping digital character and the importance of fostering healthy peer groups in the technological era.