Yogyakarta, November 10th 2022—Indonesia has long existed as an independent country. Thanks to the hard work of past national heroes, today’s generation can enjoy a prosperous and peaceful country. Then is it true that acts of heroism are only limited to fighting for the independence of the country? The monthly discussion of the Department of Communication Studies on Friday (10/11) thoroughly discussed the important urgency held by the millennial generation.
The speed of information flow not only creates an information society but also creates piles of unvalidated information. The position of millennials is very important in reducing the negative impact of technology, especially with the upcoming 2024 political year. This topic is the main focus of the Youth Activism and Fact Checking webinar: Becoming a Hero Against Hoaxes in Facing the 2024 Political Year. Together with Zainuddin Muda Z. Monggilo, S.I.KOM., M.A as a lecturer in communication science UGM, this webinar succeeded in inviting participants from UGM students as well as outside campus.
“Young people, you are now really determining the political map of Indonesia going forward in 2024, and beyond. Including if it is stated here, the millennial generation or generation Z, including all of us, we are not only expected to be limited to numbers. But all of us are also expected to contribute in the political field, “said Zam. Through the CSIS survey, young voters have great hopes of having honest and corruption-free leaders in 2024. This is concrete evidence that young people are also aware of Indonesia’s political conditions which have ‘cultivated’ corruption among officials.
Against this political background, of course, hoax information is circulating in society. The media is an image-forming tool for the world of politics. “If we look at it, there are three tricks in digital information, namely misinformation, disinformation and misinformation,” explained Zam by emphasizing the media spreading the hoax. This misinformation can be fatal if we reflect on the case of COVID-19. Various confusing information was spread that caused people’s trust in the government to decrease drastically. Of course, in 2024, the potential for polarization will become an easy target for hoax spreaders.
Zam also added that being a hero in the present is as heavy as in the past. If in the past heroes fought against invaders, the current generation must stand up to challenge their own nation because of technological developments. This monthly discussion webinar is broadcast live via the DIKOM UGM YouTube channel, so it can be accessed at any time. Through this material, it is hoped that it can help the younger generation understand their ‘heroic’ role in the modern era.