Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital Media

Ghost stories are part of the culture that plays a role in shaping adolescents' understanding and perception of the immaterial world. However, culture and the role of digital media can also influence adolescents' understanding and perception. This study aims to determine the perception of...

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Main Authors: Muthia Rahman Nayla, Suryanto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Semarang 2025-06-01
Series:Philanthropy: Journal of Psychology
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Online Access:https://journals.usm.ac.id/index.php/philanthropy/article/view/11387
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author Muthia Rahman Nayla
Suryanto
author_facet Muthia Rahman Nayla
Suryanto
author_sort Muthia Rahman Nayla
collection DOAJ
description Ghost stories are part of the culture that plays a role in shaping adolescents' understanding and perception of the immaterial world. However, culture and the role of digital media can also influence adolescents' understanding and perception. This study aims to determine the perception of ghosts in adolescents and understand the subjective experiences of late adolescents (aged 17–19 years) in forming these perceptions. This study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis data analysis. Subjects were selected purposively. The data collection process involved in-depth interviews. The results of the study show that adolescents' perceptions of ghosts are complex and influenced by several factors, namely culture, social media, religion, social narratives, and individual experiences. These results indicate that understanding the dynamics of the formation of adolescents' perceptions of metaphysical phenomena in the digital era is very important. This has an impact on developmental and educational psychology, especially in helping adolescents understand and manage their emotions, imagination, and the way they think about supernatural stories.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Semarang
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spelling doaj-art-e454193cbfa2478f8d7539d30a18e1892025-08-20T03:16:12ZengFaculty of Psychology, Universitas SemarangPhilanthropy: Journal of Psychology2580-60762580-85322025-06-01918810510.26623/philanthropy.v9i1.113879289Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital MediaMuthia Rahman Nayla0Suryanto1Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya - IndonesiaFaculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya - IndonesiaGhost stories are part of the culture that plays a role in shaping adolescents' understanding and perception of the immaterial world. However, culture and the role of digital media can also influence adolescents' understanding and perception. This study aims to determine the perception of ghosts in adolescents and understand the subjective experiences of late adolescents (aged 17–19 years) in forming these perceptions. This study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis data analysis. Subjects were selected purposively. The data collection process involved in-depth interviews. The results of the study show that adolescents' perceptions of ghosts are complex and influenced by several factors, namely culture, social media, religion, social narratives, and individual experiences. These results indicate that understanding the dynamics of the formation of adolescents' perceptions of metaphysical phenomena in the digital era is very important. This has an impact on developmental and educational psychology, especially in helping adolescents understand and manage their emotions, imagination, and the way they think about supernatural stories.https://journals.usm.ac.id/index.php/philanthropy/article/view/11387perceptionghostadolescents
spellingShingle Muthia Rahman Nayla
Suryanto
Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital Media
Philanthropy: Journal of Psychology
perception
ghost
adolescents
title Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital Media
title_full Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital Media
title_fullStr Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital Media
title_full_unstemmed Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital Media
title_short Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ghosts: A Phenomenological Study on the Influence of Culture and Digital Media
title_sort adolescents perceptions of ghosts a phenomenological study on the influence of culture and digital media
topic perception
ghost
adolescents
url https://journals.usm.ac.id/index.php/philanthropy/article/view/11387
work_keys_str_mv AT muthiarahmannayla adolescentsperceptionsofghostsaphenomenologicalstudyontheinfluenceofcultureanddigitalmedia
AT suryanto adolescentsperceptionsofghostsaphenomenologicalstudyontheinfluenceofcultureanddigitalmedia