Analysis the Online Habits of Gay Users on X in Indonesia: A Study through Pierre Bourdieu's Concept of Habitus

Abstract

This study examines the online habits of gay users on X (formerly Twitter) in Indonesia through Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus, focusing on how self-presentation, validation-seeking, and partner-seeking behavior are shaped as durable, internalized dispositions rather than isolated individual choices. A descriptive qualitative design was employed, combining observational documentation of publicly accessible posts, images, and reply threads with semi-structured interviews involving a minimum of three gay users who actively use the platform. Data were analyzed thematically using a Topic–Evidence–Explanation–Link (TEEL) structure, guided by Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, and capital. The findings show that digital habitus functions as a mediating structure linking bodily self-presentation to social validation and relational connection: ambiguous, body-focused posts consistently generate patterned clusters of responses coded into three overlapping categories—Flirtation and Sexual Desire, Intimacy Field, and Validation. The disproportionate ratio of likes to written comments further indicates that liking operates as a low-risk form of symbolic capital transfer, allowing users to participate in the community's economy of recognition while minimizing exposure to moral scrutiny. These findings suggest that everyday, seemingly minor digital interactions are not spontaneous but are structured practices shaped by Indonesia's heteronormative and religious sociocultural context. The study contributes a culturally grounded, habitus-based understanding of digital queer self-presentation and recommends further comparative research across other platforms.