ChatGPT as a Digital Safe Space: Emotional Comfort and Communication among Gen Z Students
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study explored the role of ChatGPT as a digital safe space that provides emotional comfort and influences communication behavior among Generation Z university students. The research aimed to examine how emotional connections formed through interaction with ChatGPT affect users’ communicative habits and expressions. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 Generation Z university students who had experience using ChatGPT regularly. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret participants' narratives and identify recurring patterns in their emotional and communicative experiences. Findings indicated that ChatGPT served as a non-judgmental conversational partner, encouraging openness in expressing personal thoughts and feelings. Participants reported experiencing emotional relief, reduced feelings of loneliness, and increased confidence in communicating with others after interactions with the chatbot. Additionally, several students described a noticeable shift in their communication style, such as enhanced clarity in expressing ideas and greater willingness to initiate conversations. The study concluded that emotionally supportive interactions with conversational AI can subtly reshape users’ communication behavior, particularly among digital-native populations who value anonymity and emotional safety.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Alcaide-Pulido, P., Gutiérrez-Villar, B., Ordóñez-Olmedo, E., & Pérez-Escolar, M. (2025). Analysis of faculty readiness for online teaching: Assessing impact and adaptability in diverse educational contexts. Smart Learning Environments, 12(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00353-2
Borcsa, M., & Rober, P. (2015). Research perspectives in couple therapy: Discursive qualitative methods (p. 176). Springer International Publishing; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23306-2
Carreiras, H., & Castro, C. (2012). Qualitative methods in military studies: Research experiences and challenges (p. 194). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203099223
Clair, R. P. (2003). Expressions of ethnography: Novel approaches to qualitative methods (p. 303). State University of New York Press; Scopus. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84896556900&partnerID=40&md5=d14cc6ba1608309f0398c418b0c86e4b
Daly, K. J. (2007). Qualitative methods for family studies & human development (p. 293). SAGE Publications Inc.; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452224800
Dupré, S., & Wille, B. (2025). Toward Theory-Based Volitional Personality Development Interventions at Work. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 33(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.70000
Fenton, N. E., & Baxter, J. (2016). Practicing Qualitative Methods in Health Geographies (p. 266). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315601946
Ferreira, J., França, M., Rei, M., Peixoto, R., Armand Larsen, S., Bernini, A., Lopes, L., Conde, C., & Claro, J. (2024). Towards user-centered design of medical devices for SUDEP prediction and prevention: Insights from persons with epilepsy and caregivers. Epilepsy and Behavior, 161. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2024.110034
Hidalgo-Padilla, L., Ramirez-Meneses, D., Ariza-Salazar, K., Lucchetti, S. C., Olivar, N., Stanislaus Sureshkumar, D., Fung, C., Brusco, L. I., Gómez-Restrepo, C., Uribe-Restrepo, J. M., Priebe, S., & Diez-Canseco, F. (2025). Incorporating the voice of young people in mental health research: Reflections from three lived experience advisory panels in Latin America. Research Involvement and Engagement, 11(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-025-00703-5
Hillman, W., & Radel, K. (2018). Qualitative methods in tourism research: Theory and practice (p. 294). Channel View Publications; Scopus. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85050434848&partnerID=40&md5=7ea1e3f0b2027993b53f6a795804ee51
Hung, M., Licari, F. W., Hon, E. S., Lauren, E., Su, S., Birmingham, W. C., Wadsworth, L. L., Lassetter, J. H., Graff, T. C., Harman, W., Carroll, W. B., & Lipsky, M. S. (2021). In an era of uncertainty: Impact of COVID-19 on dental education. Journal of Dental Education, 85(2), 148–156. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12404
Iosifides, T. (2016). Qualitative Methods in Migration Studies: A Critical Realist Perspective (p. 266). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315603124
Kinchin, I., Boland, E., Leroi, I., & Coast, J. (2025). Through Their Eyes: Defining ‘good life’ in dementia for health economics and outcomes research. Social Science and Medicine, 366. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117716
Longhofer, J., Floersch, J., & Hoy, J. (2012). Qualitative Methods for Practice Research (p. 224). Oxford University Press; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398472.001.0001
Lutz, W., & Knox, S. (2014). Quantitative and qualitative methods in psychotherapy research (p. 448). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203386071
McNabb, D. E. (2015). Research methods for political science: Quantitative and qualitative methods: Second edition (p. 426). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315701141
Migdal, A. B. (2018). Qualitative Methods in Quantum Theory (p. 460). CRC Press; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429497940
Mukhlis, L. (2025a). A Phenomenological Study of Personal Spiritual Experiences in Navigating Religious Pluralism within Interfaith Communities. Irfana: Journal of Religious Studies, 1(6), 212–220.
Mukhlis, L. (2025b). Spiritual Grounds for Economic Growth: A Qualitative Exploration of Rural Indonesian Women’s Transformative Journeys Through Mosque-Led Empowerment Programs. Servina: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 1(8), 289–298.
Mukhlis, L., & Abdullah, M. N. (2025). Hukum Keluarga Islam di Indonesia (1st ed.). Mukhlisina Revolution Center.
Mukhlis, L., Arifin, T., Ridwan, A. H., & Zulbaidah. (2024). Integrating Artificial Intelligenceand Maqāṣid al-Syarī‘ah: Revolutionizing Indonesia’s Sharia Online Trading System. Computer Fraud and Security, 2024(11), 301–309. https://doi.org/10.52710/cfs.238
Mukhlis, L., Arifin, T., Ridwan, A. H., & Zulbaidah. (2025). Reorientation of Sharia Stock Regulations: Integrating Taṣarrufāt al-Rasūl and Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah for Justice and Sustainability. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 10(10s), 58–66. https://doi.org/10.52783/jisem.v10i10s.1341
Mukhlis, L., Arifin, T., Ridwan, A. H., Zulbaidah, Rosadi, A., & Solehudin, E. (2025). Reformulation of Islamic Stock Law: The Application of Taṣarrufāt al-Rasūl and Maqāṣid al-Syarī‘ahto Develop a Dynamic and Sustainable Islamic Capital Market in Indonesia. Journal of Posthumanism, 5(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i3.913
Mukhlis, L., Janwari, Y., & Syafe`i, R. (2023). INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF MUDHARABAH AND MUSYARAKAH CONTRACTS. Yurisprudentia: Jurnal Hukum Ekonomi, 9(2), 243–264. https://doi.org/10.24952/yurisprudentia.v9i2.8466
Mukhlis, L., Maryam, S., & Sormin, S. A. (2023). Model Pembelajaran Living History Berbasis PjBL Untuk Meningkatkan Keterampilan Histografi Mahasiswa. Jurnal Educatio FKIP UNMA, 9(4), 1800–1809. https://doi.org/10.31949/educatio.v9i4.5595
Mukhlis, L., & Saidah, Y. (2025). Dynamics of Nature-Based learning in Developing Children’s Motoricic Skills: Teacher and Parent Perspectives. HUMANISMA: Journal of Gender Studies, 9(1), 64–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.30983/humanisme.v4i2.9366
Mukhlis, L., Suradi, Janwari, Y., & Syafe`i, R. (2023). Sosialisasi Saham Syariah sebagai Instrumen Pengembangan Ekonomi Masyarakat di Badan Kontak Majelis Taklim (BKMT) Kabupaten Mandailing Natal. Jurnal Pengabdian Multidisiplin, 3(2), 2–9. https://doi.org/10.51214/japamul.v3i2.604
Radüntz, T., & Meffert, B. (2019). User experience of 7 mobile electroencephalography devices: Comparative study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 7(9). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.2196/14474
Rodríguez-Reche, C. (2025). Islamophobia in Everyday Racial Encounters in Barcelona: The Emotional Impact on Maghrebi Communities in Spain. Sociology Compass, 19(7). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.70091
Rosean, L., Matić, J., & Samardžija, J. (2023). The Propensity for Dating Apps Usage and the Millennials’ Interpersonal Skills Development. Medijska Istrazivanja, 29(2), 95–114. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.22572/mi.29.2.4
Sharma, N., & Paço, A. (2021). Moral disengagement: A guilt free mechanism for non-green buying behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 297. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126649
Sorrenti, L., Fumia, A., Caparello, C., Meduri, C. F., & Filippello, P. (2025). The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students. Education Sciences, 15(7). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070786
Spina, G., Giordano, F., Cristofolini, F., Landoni, M., Grazioli, S., Viggiani, C., Gnagnarella, C., & Simione, L. (2023). Mental Health of Mothers and Children During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross-sectional Study on a Large Sample of Italian Families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(12), 3666–3680. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02638-5
Voillot, P., Riche, B., Portafax, M., Foulquié, P., Gedik, A., Barbarot, S., Misery, L., Héas, S., Mebarki, A., Texier, N., & Schück, S. (2022). Social Media Platforms Listening Study on Atopic Dermatitis: Quantitative and Qualitative Findings. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.2196/31140
Wray-Lake, L., & Abrams, L. S. (2020). Pathways to Civic Engagement Among Urban Youth of Color. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 85(2), 7–154. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12415
XU, W., & Stahl, G. (2025). Routine Literacy Practices as a Cultural Agenda: Children’s Experiences of Writing “Difficult” Chinese Characters in Australia. Journal of Language, Identity and Education, 24(4), 1000–1011. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2023.2252515
Zulkarnain, Z., Ginting, E. D. J., Novliadi, F., & Pasaribu, S. P. (2023). Workplace bullying and its impact on quality of work life. Kontakt, 25(1), 385–390. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.32725/kont.2023.002