Indonesia is one of the world's largest mobile gaming markets, supported by widespread internet access and intensive social media use among young people. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, developed by Moonton, has become one of Southeast Asia's most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games and a dominant title in the regional esports ecosystem. Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have evolved into primary spaces where players discover gameplay strategies, watch tournaments, exchange opinions, and form impressions about the game.
Against this backdrop, the researchers examined whether different forms of social media engagement directly influence how adolescents perceive the image of Mobile Legends. The study focused on students from SMAN 5 Jakarta, representing urban teenagers who actively consume digital content and frequently encounter Mobile Legends-related material across multiple social media platforms.
Understanding How Students Form Perceptions
The research used a quantitative survey design involving 30 students from SMAN 5 Jakarta who actively use social media and have previously viewed Mobile Legends content online. Participants completed structured questionnaires measuring three dimensions of social media engagement:
- Cognitive engagement – paying attention to, processing, and understanding information.
- Affective engagement – emotional responses and enjoyment while consuming content.
- Behavioral engagement – activities such as liking, commenting, sharing, or creating content.
The researchers then compared these engagement dimensions with students' perceptions of the Mobile Legends brand image to determine which factors had the strongest influence. Data were analyzed using statistical modeling appropriate for identifying relationships between multiple variables.
Cognitive Engagement Emerged as the Strongest Driver
The study found that only cognitive engagement had a statistically significant influence on students' perceptions of Mobile Legends.
Students who actively paid attention to game-related information, understood gameplay explanations, and processed content more carefully were significantly more likely to develop a stronger and more positive image of the game.
The other two dimensions showed different results:
- Affective engagement (emotional enjoyment) did not significantly influence game image.
- Behavioral engagement (liking, commenting, sharing, or creating content) also failed to reach statistical significance, although it demonstrated a moderate numerical contribution that may become clearer in larger studies.
Overall, the three engagement dimensions explained 41.6% of the variation in students' perceptions of Mobile Legends. The remaining variation was likely influenced by other factors, including direct gameplay experience, recommendations from friends, and the game's broader reputation within the gaming community.
Information Matters More Than Online Activity
The findings reinforce the Uses and Gratifications Theory, which argues that audiences actively choose media to satisfy specific needs rather than passively receiving information.
According to Gabriel Mezyah Arifin Hutasoit and Dr. Yohannes Don Bosco Doho of the LSPR Institute of Communication and Business, adolescents appear to build perceptions primarily by processing information they encounter on social media. Tutorials, strategy explanations, gameplay analysis, and updates provide knowledge that directly shapes how students evaluate the game, while emotional excitement or frequent online interaction alone does not necessarily create a stronger brand image. This interpretation is consistent with the study's empirical findings.
The researchers also introduced an exploratory discussion around "ritual as action." They suggest that routine behaviors such as repeatedly watching gameplay videos, scrolling through Mobile Legends content, or interacting with posts may continuously expose students to information. However, these repeated actions appear to influence perceptions only after the information is cognitively processed rather than through habitual engagement itself.
Practical Implications for Industry and Education
The study provides practical guidance for several sectors.
For game developers and publishers, the findings suggest that social media strategies should prioritize informative and educational content instead of relying solely on entertaining or emotionally engaging posts. Well-structured tutorials, gameplay guides, feature updates, and strategic explanations are more likely to strengthen a game's public image among adolescent audiences.
For the esports industry, the research highlights the value of content that helps audiences understand gameplay rather than simply promoting competitions or celebrity players.
For educators and policymakers, the findings reinforce the importance of digital literacy. As teenagers increasingly build opinions through online information, improving their ability to evaluate and understand digital content becomes essential for informed decision-making beyond gaming itself.
The research also contributes to the broader field of digital communication, demonstrating how information processing—not merely online participation—can influence perceptions of digital entertainment products.
Limitations and Future Research
The authors acknowledge several limitations.
The study involved only 30 respondents from a single class at SMAN 5 Jakarta, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Future studies could include larger and more diverse samples across different schools and regions, refine survey instruments, and examine whether similar patterns occur in other mobile games or digital entertainment products.
The researchers also recommend longitudinal studies to observe how social media engagement and game image evolve over time rather than measuring perceptions at a single point.
Author Profile
Gabriel Mezyah Arifin Hutasoit is a researcher from the LSPR Institute of Communication and Business, Indonesia, whose work focuses on digital communication, social media engagement, gaming culture, and consumer perception in digital environments.
Yohannes Don Bosco Doho is a lecturer and researcher at the LSPR Institute of Communication and Business with expertise in communication studies, digital marketing, branding, and strategic communication.
Source
Hutasoit, Gabriel Mezyah Arifin, & Doho, Yohannes Don Bosco. (2026). The Effect of Mobile Legends Social Media Engagement on the Perception of Game Image among SMAN 5 Jakarta Students. Journal of Social Interactions and Humanities (JSIH), Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 243–258. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jsih.v5i2.18
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