Mendekatkan yang Jauh, Menjauhkan yang Dekat

Abstract

The phenomenon of phubbing and extreme digital content consumption has become a new challenge in public health, especially for Generation Z, who spend up to 10 hours a day on the internet. This study aims to analyze how phubbing behavior and dependency on endurance streaming distort the quality of face-to-face social interaction and its implications for mental health determinants. The research method employed is a literature review with a critical-narrative approach. Data were collected through systematic searching of reputable scientific databases (such as Google Scholar, SINTA, and GARUDA) focusing on publications from 2021 to 2026. The analysis was conducted by synthesizing literature findings integrated with preliminary field observations to validate the phenomenon's relevance in the local context. The results reveal that snubbing others in favor of gadgets is a mechanism to escape the reciprocal emotional burden of real-life communication. Digital spaces are perceived as safer because they offer intimacy without risk, yet they systematically trigger a chronic erosion of social attention and executive dysfunction. From a public health perspective, this condition threatens social capital and community resilience. This study concludes the importance of sociopsychological interventions to restore human connection to prevent chronic emotional isolation in the future.