The Role of Social Media in Maintaining Interpersonal Communication between Indonesian Migrant Workers and Their Families a phenomenological study among migrant workers recruited through PT Wira Kreasi Usaha Ponorogo

Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of social media in maintaining interpersonal communication between Indonesian migrant workers and their families, focusing on migrant workers recruited through PT Wira Kreasi Usaha Ponorogo. Labor migration often results in long-term physical separation, creating challenges for emotional closeness, family roles, and relationship stability. In this context, social media has become an essential means of maintaining communication within transnational families. This study employs a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of Indonesian migrant workers in maintaining family communication through social media. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with three Indonesian migrant workers employed in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The findings reveal that social media, particularly WhatsApp, plays a significant role in maintaining emotional closeness, facilitating emotional expression, providing psychological support, and enabling digital parenting practices such as monitoring children’s activities, offering advice, and providing emotional guidance. However, several challenges were identified, including limited communication time, long working hours, time zone differences, restricted access to mobile phones, and emotional misunderstandings resulting from the absence of non-verbal cues. To address these challenges, migrant workers develop adaptive communication strategies, including establishing communication routines, maintaining openness, practicing emotional regulation, and fostering trust and harmony within their families. Overall, this study concludes that social media functions not only as a technological tool but also as an emotional bridge that supports the continuity of interpersonal communication within transnational families. The effectiveness of such communication depends largely on emotional commitment, mutual understanding, and sustained interpersonal efforts among family members.