Dari fandom menjadi teman: Peran self-esteem dalam kualitas pertemanan virtual dan kualitas hidup penggemar K-pop

In the process of forming their identity, adolescents engage in exploration through behaviors such as idolizing celebrities, such as K-Pop singers. K-Pop fans often form virtual friendships within fandoms, which are believed to influence their quality of life. Additionally, self-esteem plays a crucial role in shaping the quality of life in adolescents. This study aims to examine the role of self-esteem as a mediator between the quality of virtual friendships and the quality of life among adolescent K-Pop fans. A total of 266 adolescent K-Pop fans aged 12-18 years (M = 16.55) participated in this study. The measurement instruments used were the Youth Quality of Life Instrument – Short Form, Online Friendship Scale, and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale. The mediation analysis results indicated that self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between the quality of virtual friendships and quality of life. These findings support the importance of virtual friendship quality and self-esteem in promoting a good quality of life for adolescent K-Pop fans. Nevertheless, caution is required in interpreting these findings to avoid negative impacts from virtual friendships, as well as excessive behaviors in idolizing K-Pop celebrities.