Yuli Candrasari, Aulia Rahmawati, Heidy Arviani, Ade Kusuma, Anang Sujoko
Many studies stated that in the early days of the internet, online usage caused people to feel depressed and lonely. However, some recent research has shown that the internet can help individuals build social relations. Social media has made it easier for individuals to connect with other individuals through social networking and media, especially Facebook. Facebook is one of the most widely used social networking sites: 72.7% of Indonesia's total internet users use Facebook (APJII, 2020). The presence of social media includes Facebook, which has changed the patterns of interaction and individual communication. The purpose of this study is to examine how the internet can replace the role of face-to-face communication in establishing friendships and maintaining social relations in this digital era. Therefore, writers will use CMC Perspective and Social Information Processing theory to answer these questions. Netnography was done on the Bening Society community Facebook account. This study's results indicate that Facebook has been able to shift the role of face-to-face communication in building social relations, especially in building friendships and maintaining friendships. It was further described that netizens felt more comfortable building and developing social relations through the internet in this case, especially through the social media application Facebook, because it was considered "cheaper" and more accessible. © 2025, Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All rights reserved.
Department of Communications Studies, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Jawa Timur, Surabaya, 60294, Indonesia; Department of Communication Studies, Universitas Brawijaya Malang, Jawa Timur, 65145, Indonesia
