Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities
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Pertanika · Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities

Official journal of Universiti Putra Malaysia for scholarly work across the social sciences, humanities and related interdisciplinary fields.

e-ISSN 2231-8534 ISSN 0128-7702
Pre-press article

Algorithmic Exposure and Gamophobia: A Study of TikTok’s “Marriage is Scary” Content Among Generation Z Women in Bogor City, Indonesia

Dwi Rini Sovia Firdaus

https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.34.4.16
KeywordsAlgorithmic exposure, Bogor City, Indonesia, gamophobia, Generation Z, marriage attitudes, social media effects
Article content

Abstract

This study examines the association between perceived exposure to algorithmically curated TikTok content and fear of commitment to marriage (gamophobia) among Generation Z women in Bogor City, Indonesia. Drawing on Algorithmic Communication Theory, Cultivation Theory, and Cultural Script Theory, it explores how repeated exposure to negative marriage narratives in personalised content is associated with views of marriage in a collectivist culture. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 100 Generation Z women aged 15 to 29 who regularly use TikTok and are familiar with the hashtag “Marriage is Scary.” Perceived content exposure and gamophobia were measured using self-report Likert-scale instruments, and data were analysed using simple linear regression. Greater perceived exposure to “Marriage is Scary” content was significantly associated with higher gamophobia scores (β = 1.057, p < 0.001), explaining 35.1% of the variance. Three dimensions of perceived content exposure were assessed: ideological assumptions about marriage (M = 3.24), perceived credibility of content sources (M = 3.22), and persuasive tone (M = 3.31). Gamophobia was most strongly expressed as panic about marriage (M = 3.33), followed by anxiety when discussing marriage (M = 3.19) and fear of self-disclosure (M = 3.17). Given the cross-sectional design, the findings indicate an association rather than a causation, suggesting that personalised algorithmic content may be linked to the formation and change of views on marriage while highlighting the potential influence of customised social media content on marriage-related anxiety among Generation Z women in Bogor City, Indonesia.