Digital representation of Mount Merbabu on social media: The gap between landscape aesthetics and geohistorical interpretation
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the digital representation of the geohistorical landscape of Mount Merbabu specifically the Suwanting hiking trail on social media, and to examine its implications for heritage-based tourism and responsible digital citizenship. Employing an exploratory qualitative approach, the research analyzes 100 pieces of social media content, incorporates field observations, and includes interviews with content creators. The findings indicate that the digital representation of Mount Merbabu is dominated by landscape aesthetics and the hiking experience; 47% of the content focuses on the savanna, while 32% centers on the hiking trail. This dominance suggests that visual appeal takes precedence over historical and cultural interpretation within the primary content categories. Interviews further reveal that visual beauty is the primary consideration for creators when producing content, whereas historical and cultural information is relatively difficult to find. These findings highlight a gap between the aesthetic representation of the landscape and its geohistorical interpretation. Consequently, digital content concerning Mount Merbabu has the potential to be developed beyond mere tourism promotion serving instead as an educational tool that integrates accurate and responsible information regarding geography, history, culture, and conservation.
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