REPRESENTASI PESAN EMOSIONAL DALAM KONTEN REELS AKUN INSTAGRAM @RINTIKSEDU

Abstract

The development of social media, particularly Instagram, has transformed the way individuals communicate and interpret emotions through digital communication. The Reels feature enables emotional messages to be conveyed through a combination of visual elements, text, audio, and narration. This study aims to analyze the representation of emotional messages in the Instagram Reels content of @rintiksedu and to examine the meanings constructed through visual, textual, and audio elements. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method using Stuart Hall’s representation theory and Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis through three levels of meaning: denotation, connotation, and myth. Data were collected through observation, documentation, and analysis of netizen comments on selected Reels content. The findings show that, at the denotative level, the content presents narratives supported by visual elements, text, and background music. At the connotative level, the content represents unexpressed love, relationship uncertainty, and emotional attachment. At the mythical level, painful experiences of love are represented as a natural part of human life. Netizen responses indicate strong emotional engagement. Therefore, @rintiksedu’s Reels function not only as entertainment but also as a medium for representing and constructing emotional meaning in digital society