ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Commun.
Sec. Health Communication
Early Marriage Behavior of Indonesian School Students: An Analysis of Social Media Networks X
Provisionally accepted
- 1Muhammadiyah University of Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
- 2Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
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This study explores the dynamics of digital communication related to the increase in marriage dispensation applications due to teenage pregnancy in Indonesia, which in 2022 was recorded at 52,338 cases, with most of them filed by adolescents aged 11–14 years. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates big data-based Social Media Network Analysis (SMNA), this study analyzed 1,706 tweets in Indonesian containing the keyword "marriage dispensation" from January 11 to 21, 2023. The results of the analysis show the formation of communication networks dominated by non-state actors, including gender equality activists. These influencers focus on sex education, digital communication networks, and platforms engaged in reproductive health. This coalition of actors has proven to play a significant role in influencing public opinion and regulating the flow of information distribution on social media. The findings of this study emphasize the urgency of mapping digital communication networks as a basis for designing more effective communication intervention strategies in preventing adolescent pregnancy out of wedlock while addressing social emergencies that plague students.
Keywords: Early Marriage Behavior, Indonesia, Marriage dispensation, School students, social network analysis, x
Received: 07 Jan 2026; Accepted: 09 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Santoso, Nasution and Ramadhani. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Puji Santoso
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