- 03/02/2020
- Category: Commentaries
This article would like to discuss the digital literacy of Indonesia. This article would dissect how Indonesia’s digital literacy has changed over a decade while also looking at the future. The goal of this article is to elaborate on how Indonesia’s digital literacy has impacted Indonesia and what it will most likely be like in the future.
Introduction
Digital literacy can be defined as the ability to utilize and use digital services such as, but not limited to, the internet, smartphones, computers, and many others. In a broad sense, digital literacy could be defined as a large variety of complex cognitive, motor, sociological, and emotional skills, which users need to function effectively in digital environments.[i] These skills can be, but not limited to, the ability to filter information, understand information, and how we deal with said information.
The number of people using the internet in Indonesia has increased over the past years, as evidence, in 2018, we can see that the number of internet users has reached 171,17 million out of 264,16 million citizens, an equivalent to 64,8%.[ii] Which is an increase compared to the 143,26 million users in 2017.[iii] Although almost all levels of age groups use the internet, the most prominent users are those within the 18-30 age groups. Significantly, the number of internet users in Indonesia is increasing every year, but just because the numbers have risen does not mean that the people who use it have a full grasp and understanding of the internet. All it means is that the number of users has increased. This article would also like to dwell deeper into the repercussions that come with the proliferation of the internet and how, in a way, it can be considered as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can be beneficial for the people of Indonesia, while on the other, it can have negative impacts.
The Good
With how the internet is now easily accessible for anyone, anywhere, and at any given time, information can now be easily spread from one person to another. Whether it be news that happened on the other side of the earth, for example, news of President Trump’s impeachment in the US, people from Indonesia can now get it as quickly as possible, all within a single touch of a button. This high-speed travel of information has impacted how we consume information. We now consume a lot more information than ever before, so much so that we consume four times more information than we did in the last two decades[iv], almost a total of 34 gigabytes[v] worth of information in a day.[vi] The information that we consume is not only limited to text-based information, but audio-visual information counts too.
Not only have that, with the proliferation of the internet, people’s lives become much easier. Information is not the only thing that is accessible with a click of a button, but most of our daily life has now been integrated with the internet. Things such as, but not limited to, ordering taxis, shopping, or even ordering train tickets have been integrated with the internet. Anyone with enough understanding of these services can fully utilize the services that have been integrated with the internet.
The Bad
Just as the old saying goes, too much of a good thing can be harmful. This also applies to the amount of information that we now consume. Just because we now consume more information than we used to, does not mean that the information that we consume is accurate nor true. People nowadays need also to have the skills to be able to filter out the false information that comes with the information that we consume. But sadly enough, that isn’t the case with Indonesians. During the presidential campaign of 2019, many people fell to the victim of hoaxes that were widely spread throughout social media, prominently found on Facebook and WhatsApp.[vii] Whether they were young or old, people were spreading rumors and fake news, which many people too fell for because they did not know any better. Although it happens within the scope of the digital world, it has a direct impact on our real life. One tangible case of the impacts of the spreading of misinformation is with the case of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, former governor of Jakarta, who was jailed due to a video of him committing blasphemy, which in then was proven to be false.[viii]
Another negative side to the proliferation of the internet is that there is a gap between those who understand the internet and those who do not. This digital divide is most apparent with those of the opposing age groups. The younger generation, although not all, have mastered and understood the digital skills needed within this digital era. Meanwhile, the older generation is left in the dust without having an understanding of the skills that are necessary to survive. It also does not help the fact that the services that were once easy to use for those who are digitally illiterate have now become a significant source of confusion. As depicted in the picture above, an older woman could not purchase a train ticket since train tickets can now only be bought online.[ix] These forms of services that also rely heavily on the digital aspect should not leave these customers behind. They should still be able to accommodate those who still lack the understanding in the hopes that one day they will adapting to the system.
Conclusion
As the title suggests, we have now seen that the digital literacy of Indonesia changed as time goes by gradually. We now consume more information than ever before, and our lives have gotten more comfortable with newer internet services. But at the same time, with the ever so rampant spread of information comes the spread of misinformation and fake news. The same goes with the proliferation of internet services alienates those who still cannot use said services.
So what can we do? What can we expect in the future?
What’s expected to come for the future of Indonesia’s digital literacy is an increase in the consumption of information, better internet services, and the people having the ability to filter the information and use said services. How can that be achieved? The Indonesian government (or any 3rd party actors) should re-educate how the general people use the internet in itself. Not only that, the government provided services that require the use of the internet should not be so internet-based so that the older generation of people that don’t have access to the internet, nor knowledge, can still use said services.
Author:Perdana Karim
Editor:Amelinda Pandu Kusumaningtyas
Read more articles written by Perdana Karim
[i] Eshet, Y., 2004. Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills in the digital
era. Journal of educational multimedia and hypermedia, 13(1), pp.93-106 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].
[ii] PENETRASI & PROFIL PERILAKU PENGGUNA INTERNET INDONESIA: SURVEI 2018. (2018). [ebook] Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia. Available at: https://apjii.or.id/survei2018 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].
[iii] PENETRASI & PROFIL PERILAKU PENGGUNA INTERNET INDONESIA: SURVEI 2017. (2017). [ebook] Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia. Available at: https://apjii.or.id/survei2017 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].
[iv] Clinton, D. (2018). Defining the Future of Human Information Consumption | Loup Ventures. [online] Loup Ventures. Available at: https://loupventures.com/defining-the-future-of-human-information-consumption/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].
[v] Nusca, A. (2019). Americans consume 100,000 words of information each day, study says | ZDNet. [online] ZDNet. Available at: https://www.zdnet.com/article/americans-consume-100000-words-of-information-each-day-study-says/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].
[vi] Thirty-four gigabytes worth of information, which is the equivalent of 100000 words is what the average American consumes, we can infer that the average Indonesian consumes more or less the same.
[vii] Riski, P. (2018). Berita Hoaks, Ancaman Serius Persatuan Bangsa Memasuki Tahun Politik. [online] VOA Indonesia. Available at: https://www.voaindonesia.com/a/berita-hoaks-ancaman-serius-persatuan-bangsa-memasuki-tahun-politik/4553726.html [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].
[viii] BBC News. (2017). Who is Jakarta’s non-Muslim governor?. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37872151 [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].
[ix] Twitter.com. (2019). Twitter. [online] Available at:
https://twitter.com/hanifmuhammads/status/1182553343199072257?s=20 [Accessed 24 Nov.
2019].
