COMMODIFYING INTIMACY: Labor Dynamics in Virtual Lover Rental Services on Instagram

doi:10.36782/jcs.v15i1.2605

COMMODIFYING INTIMACY: Labor Dynamics in Virtual Lover Rental Services on Instagram

Syarifah Nur Aini, Novi Kurnia

Abstract

Intimacy on social media is increasingly shaped by commodification, where relationships are constructed not through trust but through transactional practices embedded in broader political–economic dynamics. Instagram, as a commercialized social platform, enables individuals to “sell” the promise of fulfilling personal and social needs, positioning intimacy as a desacralized commodity. This study addresses the growing urgency of understanding how the commodification of intimacy transforms contemporary perceptions of romantic relationships. The research aims to examine how meaningful forms of intimacy are converted into profane, marketable services within Instagram-based virtual girlfriend/boyfriend rental accounts. Using a multiple case study approach, data were collected through interviews and digital observations of accounts such as @rentmate.id, @sewapacaronline.id, and @rntl.pacar_id between September and October 2024. Drawing on Mosco’s concept of commodification and the intimacy frameworks of Jamieson and Register & Henley, the analysis shows that intimacy within these services is tightly intertwined with labor dynamics and power relations. Account owners exercise authority over talents treated as transactional assets, while the talents face exploitative conditions manifested in flexible yet uncertain work hours, ambiguous contractual arrangements, leisure-oriented work discourses, self-ideological demands, and bodily negotiation. The study contributes to intimacy studies within communication scholarship by highlighting how digital labor structures reshape emotional exchange in commodified online environments. It also offers insights into emerging forms of intimacy that reflect ongoing tensions between cultural values and economic imperatives.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.36782/jcs.v15i1.2605

Keywords

Political-Economy; Labor Exploitation; Digital Intimacy; Lover Rental Services; Social Media

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