
Received: 02 June 2019
Revised: 04 June 2019
Accepted: 10 June 2019
Published: 27 June 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v8i9.1256
Abstract: This study focuses on communication strategy used by Into the Light Indonesia in Instagram account @intothelightid to educate the followers dealing with preventing suicide attempt. Afterward, the aim of this study is tried to find out how the communication strategy used by Into the Light Indonesia with the Interpersonal Dynamic concept. The method used is qualitative descriptive. The result of this study shows that the Instagram account @intothelightid used by the user to communicate with the followers in order to bring up intimacy and comfort. In addition, it will make the audience feels to be accepted by others and thus it will ease Into the Light in giving information or educate the users regarding with suicide attempt.
Keywords: suicide, suicide attempt preventing education, Instagram, Communication.
Resumo: Este estudo enfoca a estratégia de comunicação usada por Into the Light Indonesia no Instagram account @intothelightid para educar os seguidores que lidam com a prevenção da tentativa de suicídio. Depois, o objetivo deste estudo é tentar descobrir como a estratégia de comunicação usada por Into the Light Indonesia com o conceito de Dinâmica Interpessoal. O método utilizado é qualitativo descritivo. O resultado deste estudo mostra que a conta do Instagram @intothelightid utilizada pelo usuário para se comunicar com os seguidores, a fim de trazer intimidade e conforto. Além disso, fará com que o público se sinta aceito pelos outros e, assim, facilitará a entrada da Luz em dar informações ou educar os usuários quanto à tentativa de suicídio.
Palavras-chave: suicídio, tentativa de suicídio que impede a educação, Instagram, Comunicação.
Resumen: este estudio se centra en la estrategia de comunicación utilizada por Into the Light Indonesia en la cuenta de Instagram @intothelightid para educar a los seguidores que tratan de prevenir el intento de suicidio. Posteriormente, el objetivo de este estudio es tratar de averiguar cómo la estrategia de comunicación utilizada por Into the Light Indonesia con el concepto de dinámica interpersonal. El método utilizado es cualitativo descriptivo. El resultado de este estudio muestra que la cuenta de Instagram @intothelightid utilizada por el usuario para comunicarse con los seguidores con el fin de mostrar intimidad y comodidad. Además, hará que la audiencia se sienta aceptada por los demás y, por lo tanto, facilitará a Into the Light la información o educará a los usuarios con respecto al intento de suicidio.
Palabras clave: suicidio, intento de suicidio impidiendo la educación, Instagram, comunicación.
1. Introduction
Suicide derives from Latin suicidium from sui caedere. Sui means self, and Caedere means to kill (Husain, 2005: 6). Meanwhile, according to human behaviorism follower, suicide is a kind of escape from reality/situation that cannot be handled. In other word, it is a kind of regression to back into comfort situation (Kartono 2000: 143). In addition, suicide is also described as a situation in which a person is loss his/her desire to live, instead he/she desire to self-destruct (Kartono, 2000: 144).
From the definition mentioned above, it can be concluded that suicide is an attempt to destruct or harm his/her own self for the sake of certain motivation. In Indonesia, suicide becomes phenomenon that mostly happened. Based on statistical data, there will be one or two or even three person who attempt suicide in Indonesia. In Indonesia, suicide ratio level reaches 1.6 up to 1.8 people for each 100.000 society in 2001. Further, in 2005, the ratio in increasing up to 11.4 persons per 100.000 societies.
World Health Organization (WHO) provides data which indicates if Indonesian immortality cause by suicide in 2012 is about 10.000. The numbers is increasing compared to 2010 which is merely 5.000.
The number of suicide attempter in Indonesia which is always increasing as well as the various actions to attempt suicide has cause anxiety. The case of previous person who attempt suicide, will be make the prospective suicide attempt courage to do so.

Indonesia currently known as ASEAN country which is the most person who attempt suicide is women. The detail shows that 3.7 persons per 100.000 for men and 4.9 persons per 100.000 for women. According to Firman as the staff from Crisis Center owned by Marzoeki Mahdi Mental Hospital who handle the victims of suicide attempt in Bogor states that the primary target who mostly needed consultation are teenagers in junior high school as well as senior high school (Firman, Staff in Marzoeki Mahdi Mental Hospital, pre-research interview, January 19th, 2018).
Nevertheless, Indonesian government has roles to reduce the number of suicide attempt. In 2010, precisely in the International Mental Health Day, Directorate of Community Health Services Development of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia opens up hotline consultation especially for special counseling for mental health. Unfortunately, due to ineffectiveness operational fee and the resources with the number of calling, hence in 2014, this hotline service is perforce to stop.
The Health Minister data has noted the number of call who uses ASA hotline service amounts 161 caller in 2010; 222 caller in 2011; 347 caller in 2012; 267 caller in 2013; and 46 caller in 2014.
Besides the government, there are some organizations who provide service for anyone who wanting to attempt suicide. Those organizations are:
a. Hospital and Public health service center who have mental health service. Such as Marzoeki Mahdi Mental Hospital Bogor.
b. Indonesian Schizophrenia Caring Community or known as KPSI (in Indonesia) is an organization for schizophrenic sufferer, its family, or even society who cares dealing with mental health. The founder of this organization is Bagus Utomo, schizophrenic caregiver.
c. Saveyourselves.id is an organization focuses in social service and aim to help people who have mental illness issue through social media Instagram and website. Saveyourselves.id has three primary services that are education, supportive counseling, and suicide prevention.
Thus, to prevent and or reduce the number of suicide attempt, it is needed media that can embrace the target market (or in this case are the person who have mental health problems).
Then, based on data in wearesosia.com states that social media is one of mass media that mostly used by society nowadays, especially Instagram. Therefore, Instagram is considered to be one of media that suitable for such organization to reach the suicide attempters.
Into the Light Indonesia Suicide Prevention Community for Advocacy, Research, and Education (SP-CARE) or shortly known as Into the light is established in May 2013. This youth community focuses on advocacy, research, and education in preventing suicide attempt in Indonesia. Further, into the light has collaborated with several universities, local communities, society organizations, ministers, and other national or even international organizations which have the same intentions.
As a community, Into the Light has provided several public discussion program, training, campaign, and research result aims to decrease the suicide stigma and increasing the way to consult. All of the programs have involving participation from the attempter, and youth generation who have basic in science research and human rights. Those programs are being published by Into the Light via social media as like Instagram. Currently, the Into the Light Instagram account has reached 8.855 followers.
Afterward, regarding with the problems mentioned above, the researcher has interested to discuss the way @intothelightid account used social media to provide information to public, and to find out communication strategy used by Into the Light Indonesia in communicating using @intothelightid account.
2. Literature Review
2.1 Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)
Thurlow assumes that computer mediated communication (CMC) is human communication process to use computer by involving human in certain condition and context, as well as involving process to form media with several intentions. Besides that, CMC can be described as communication transaction between two computers or more which is correlate each other (Thurlow, 2007, p. 15).
Further, according to CMC expert, Walther and Parks, there are several internet technologies which is considered to be interested in CMC including: 1) email or mailing list; 2) weblog; 3) instant messaging. Nowadays, there are so much online media industry that promotes CMC to public such as Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Kaskus, and Weblog (Thurlow, 2004, p. 24).
The characteristics of CMC is the communication between each individual either one on one or many to many by sharing text, voice, or picture as interact material, and also the users can upload photos or even music (Littlejohn & Fross, 2009, p,162).
2.2 Social Media
Social media is group of network which has application basic in internet, and established based on technology and web 2.0 concepts. Hence, it is possible for the users to create or change the content shared (Weber, 2009, p.193).
In other words, social media can be defined as basic service in website which possibly makes individual to build a public profile in limited system, shows other user which has the same correlation in that system (Boyd and Ellison, 2008, p.11). It is also supported by research result by Jany E. Luik about social media and self-presentation. The research found that media user will be maximizing the application element to represent the user profile. Moreover, social media has created introducing phase and friendship become more dynamics (Luik, 2012).
2.3 Instagram
Instagram is a social media application that is very popular in the smartphone users. The name of Instagram is derived from the word “insta” which means instant and “gram” which means telegram (Ghazali, M, 2016, p.8). This application can be used to share photos and videos. However, this social media still part of Facebook.
3. Method
This research uses qualitative descriptive. The result of this study will be subjective since the researcher becomes the primary key instrument. Afterward, the result will be in a form of descriptive and figures.
There are five informants that will be interview to collect data, two of them are internal informant from Into the Light Indonesia; and two external informants comes from 1 followers from @intothelightid and one comes from media expertise.
The research obtains the data by interviewing the team of social media Instagram account @intothelightid, social media expertise and followers from the account.
Observation performed in this research on @intothelightid account is in form pictures by capturing from the social media account @intothelightid. Afterward, due to the analysis is conducted qualitative, hence the data will be served in narrative form, figure, flowchart and so forth. Then, after the data has been collected, the research will draw the conclusion and conducts data verifying. The first conclusion is temporary and changeable if there is evidence which supports the next data collecting. Thus, this process is called data verification.
4. Results and Discussion
4.1 Asociality and Anti-sociality
The belief of bad online communication is because this communication is considered to break the receiver's relationship with a real relationship. So that direct or face-to-face communication feels better to do.
Face-to-face interaction is lack effective in place and time. However, this interaction is also considered to be effective by paying attention to the interlocutor and giving feedback based on perceived verbal and non-verbal interactions, and can be done with many people in one place and time.
Meanwhile, the deficiency of interaction through Instagram is the existence of non-verbal communication which makes the communication is less efficient and misunderstood. But, the communication is can be obtained anytime and anywhere to the receiver. It is stated by Nana Kuinra, a strategic planner in social media agency in Jakarta.
In providing education, advocacy, and research dealing with suicide attempt to the target audience, Into the Light need to convey the messages directly through seminar, event, sharing session and also through online media Instagram, Website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Line Ads. It is stated by Chief Coordinator Into the Light, Benny Prawira.
Fauzia, as media coordinator and content creator from Instagram account @intothelightid states that the use of Instagram as message delivery media is considered not reducing the message quality since the messages has adjusted with appropriate design and copy.
4.2 Deficit Approach
Social presence is communicated through visual cues such as facial expressions, movements and eye contact. Non-verbal cues (i.e; gestures, facial expressions, voice tone, appearance) and identity markers (i.e; status, work role, age and gender) usually used as a sign to communicate various social and emotional information, including the way people orient to the topic of conversation and the people they are talking to.
In this study, the target audience is easier to reach with Instagram rather than direct meeting with Light Bringers. This is due to limited time, social and financial access from the target audience who still need assistance from adults or already busy working. This was stated by Benny Prawira as the Coordinator of Into the Light Indonesia.
To educate a person who wants to attempt suicide, absolutely it is needed to make the person who attempt suicide feels comfort by non-verbal communication. In this case, Instagram can be a medium for communicate with the person who want to commit suicide. Prospective victims who access Instagram with their own desires without the need to be confronted with interactions immediately feel not intimidated and can absorb messages calmly and anytime. This was conveyed by Nehemia, a follower from the @intothelightid account.
4.3 Social Information Processing
Online interpersonal relation can provide dimension and the same relational quality as like face to face interaction but it is needed more time to develop compared with traditional face to face interaction. Hence, relational dimension and quality through Instagram can develop if the time to communicate is long enough.
Due to the reason, @intothelightid performed continuously campaign so that that target audience can get the information in continuous duration for a long time. It is conveyed by Fauzia, as coordinator media division from Into the Light Indonesia.
Benny Prawira also stated that the use of IG Stories as sharing session about certain topic and Highlight is used for keeping basic information and permanent. In addition, to increasing the audience engagement, @intothelightid has shared several design post personified and repost by its audience. Afterward, @intothelightid will repost the post again to shoe feedback relation. It is stated by Fauzia, as content creator Into the Light Indonesia.
Further, in helping the person who wants to commit suicide, Into the Light should get more attention and trust from its target audience. It can be created by posting quotes that relate to the audience. Thus, the audience will interest to @intothelightid and feel that @intothelightid understands their problems and somehow can help them to solve the problems. It is conveyed by one of the follower @intothelightid, Nehemia.
4.4 Communication Imperative
Human was born to communicate and pushed to maximize his satisfaction and communication interaction. This meant that human always avoid the practical or technological obstacles which probably prevent him of having the type of desired relational compliance. Not only what have been given or done by the technology, but on how human adapt the technology and make it do what he desired. In fact, people make and keep a good relationship via online every time. This was due to the basic characteristic of interpersonal CMC in which human spend most of his time to do online communication, including; the existed interaction before increase the interpersonal communication; the expectation and motivation on online interaction enhance interest or attraction, reading message with the linkage of time increase intimate relationship, the use of emoticon could make the message more expressive and the feeling would connected interpersonally.
Millennial spent their time to open Instagram account in long time duration. Based on the Nehemia’s confession, a university student in Jakarta, said that she always open her Instagram account every time she opens her cellular phone, when she is bored, eating, or meeting with her friends. This was supported by Nana, a Social Media Strategic Planner who also Instagram user, who said, “Of course, 60% of millennial have social media, and yea Instagram is the most used social media application nowadays. And based on my experience, since I also millennial generation, it is a must, every day, if you have account, to open Instagram. Unfortunately, @intothelightid does not have regular posting time every week.”
4.5 Online Impression Management
Human spends most of his life to what he called as management impression, forming somebody else’s impression and maintenance their impression constantly. Indeed, human has done it all the time, even for people who like to end up in “information games”. Information game refers to human who is trying to find out about someone else and decide on what and how many information that they should known from him. Though, it could be probably seen as management information, but, one of the reasons why human really wants to know all of the information because he wanted to support his relationship with others. It showed on the use of attractive writing, emotion and visual to express various sentiments or behaviors; creates new identity, the appearance of urban languages; and strengthen offline interaction through online connection.
In its Instagram, @intothelightid, want to create the approachable, dependable, eternal, understand the audience and informative image. It was expressed by Fauzia who worked as @intothelightid admin;
“The image is .., we want the audiences know that we will always try the best to help based on our capacity and field, we can be easily reached, and embrace them. And if the audiences need education, advocacy and research on suicide prevention, of course, it can be seen through our Instagram account because all of the information was there.”
Nana added that Into The Light Indonesia used language from the usual language of the target audience in communicating in Instagram, thus it could be understood and absorbed well by the target audience.
4.6 Hyper Personal
Interpersonal dynamic within online communication could make human become hyper personal due to the similarity in online group who interact with him, which made him feel comfort and accepted. The new image in online world made human feel more comfortable and confidence in interaction, a freedom in giving feedback create a feeling of being noticed by others. The Instagram account of @intothelightid could become a place for getting education on suicide prevention since the image created was dependable, also the interaction with the audiences was intertwined and a feeling of being accepted within a group was also there, stated by Nehemia, one of the followers of @intothelightid.
Into The Light Indonesia was succeed in creating an image needed by their audiences, this could be seen through one of the follower’s feedback. Into The light Indonesia felt that Instagram could become the central information source on suicide preventing because the target audiences was them who like to use Instagram in daily activities, and how the features could be maximized in spreading the education, advocacy and research. A Founder of Into The Light Indonesia, Benny Prawira, said, “Our social media had its benchmark in Instagram since its picture can be easily adjusted, hence we like to make it from Instagram then share it to Line, Twitter and Facebook. Actually, we also have Link In but only as a sign that our community is exist, we are not active there. We also have website and worked up with freelance contributor to fill the content. We can use the Post Feeds feature for education, info graphic document, program document, holiday greetings, and other contents. While Instagram story used for ask time and highlight for things that have permanent characteristic. For, Instagram TV, we use for program documentation.”
5. Discussion
In conclusion, @intothelightid has been suitable with CMC theory using Interpersonal Dynamic concept by Thurlow. In its communication, there were 5 from 6 parts of Interpersonal Dynamic theory, including deficit approaches, social information processing, communication imperative, impression management and hyper personal communication. It was known that @intothelightid was suitable with CMC theory by Littlejohn @Fross, that stated communication with computer between two parties or many parties by sharing text, voice or picture was good. It was similar to @intothelightid that also shares text, voice and picture to public audiences of Instagram.
In accordance with Wood and Smith theory that in technology era, communication mode that has been interceded by internet moved rapidly and seen as computer technology integration within the daily life, here, @intothelightid was communicating with public through internet in Instagram. The sixth parts within Interpersonal dynamic which involved in communication by @intothelightid explained that communication with computer media could occurred the Asociality and Antisociality which felt more effective due to the lost of time limitation. Therefore, it helped the audiences faster and has its messages absorbed easily due to its regular posting. Deficit Approach could make the target audiences become more comfortable in indirect communication because the missing of non-verbal signal from interlocutor that make them intimidate. Also the same interests on suicide make them feel not alone. With repeatedly and continuity communication done by @intothelightid, such as annual events, repetition on hash tag usage, mental health education in a form of podcast in episodes, made social information processing within CMC have same quality with direct communication. A lot time spent for communicate through social media made @intothelightid became imperative communication media by the audiences. With online impression management, audience had image that suitable with what they wanted to and made them more confident, hence @intothelightid with its trustworthy image, understanding the audience and could be relied in strengthen the intimate relationship. Therefore, audience with hyper personal personality could be created.
6. Suggestion
Instagram account owned by Into the Light Indonesia as a related party in this research has aims to increase awareness by creating campaigns with new hashtags, collaborate with influencers to promote Instagram accounts, thus, it will make the audiences ease to find @intothelightid accounts when they need them. Further, there are some suggestions for @intothelightid such as increasing the content in the form of testimonials and share stories about the experiences of victims who have succeeded in improving their mental health, so that the target audience feels they have something in common. Then, shorten the content in the photo/design and replace it with visuals that are easier to understand and have a matching visual tone. Maximize the use of Instagram features to strengthen engagement such as visual education through IG TV. And improve educational material by reproducing repetitive and continuous material such as Ask Me content in Highlights. In addition, it is also needed in creating virtual events that can be enjoyed by the target audience by using Live Instagram.
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Percentage contribution of each author in the manuscript
Marissa Ferrari Reminiscere Tampubolon - 100%