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Eduvest � Journal of
Universal Studies Volume 4, Number
12, December, 2024 p- ISSN 2775-3735- e-ISSN 2775-3727 |
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TIKTOK
SOCIAL MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY: A STUDY ON GENERATION Z IN AUSTRALIA INDONESIA
YOUTH ASSOCIATION (AIYA) YOGYAKARTA |
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Wulan Yannis Setyanti1*, Subakhi Ridho2, Fahmi Irfanudeen3 University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta,
Indonesia123 |
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ABSTRACT |
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Murals are often a medium for conveying people's
aspirations. However, most people think that murals are just graffiti on the
wall with no meaning. In this case, mural artists play a role in voicing
aspirations, criticism, ideas and things that are bothering society. Because
murals do not only focus on the beauty of the mural artwork, but also have
meaning and messages. Masjo, as a mural artist,
sees phenomena around him that he uses as topics for murals. As happened some
time ago, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a real impact on society. Masjo sees this phenomenon as sad. This research uses a
qualitative descriptive method, using iconography and iconology semiotics to
obtain markers of meaning contained in mural images. So that this research
can explain or describe Masjo's mural work in
detail. The results of this research are the meaning of artistic expression
and messages of social criticism in Masjo's mural
entitled 'Just stay at home'. The meaning of artistic expression in mural
works tells how to survive in the Covid-19 pandemic situation. The social
criticism in the mural discusses the role of the government which only
advises people to stay at home, while the government does not provide
guarantees for people's lives. |
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KEYWORDS |
TikTok Social Media; Generation
Z; Political Awareness; Religious Tolerance |
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This
work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International |
INTRODUCTION
Indonesia
is one of
the countries that practices a democratic system in the administration of power based
on the will
of the people
(Aspinall &
Berenschot, 2019). This is as written in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia Article 1 paragraph 2 which states that "State sovereignty is in the hands of
the people and is carried
out in accordance with the constitution."
General elections or elections are one of the democratic
systems that practice a form of political decision-making
sourced from the will of
the people. Elections are a means of people's sovereignty
to elect members of the
House of Representatives, members of the
House of Representatives, the President and
Vice President, and to elect
members of the House of Representatives,
which are carried out directly, publicly,
freely, secretly, honestly, and fairly
based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution
of the Republic of Indonesia.
Entering 2024, the democratic
process will be held to
elect the President and Vice
President of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2024-2029 period. Facing this political situation, political parties carry their
best candidates and determine unique
and diverse campaign strategies. Referring to Election
Law number 7 of 2017 which states that
political parties or coalitions of
political parties can register prospective candidate pairs, namely having fulfilled
the provisions of 20% of seats
in the House of Representatives or 25% of valid votes nationally (Umum, 2023). Reporting from the General Election Commission (KPU) website, the KPU has determined three pairs of presidential
and vice presidential candidates in the 2024 election, namely Anies Rasyid Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo
Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and
Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD.
One
of the categories
of voter groups that is
very interesting to study is young
voters, namely Generation Z or Gen Z (El Qudsi &
Syamtar, 2020). Generation Z is a term for the
generation born in the range of
2000 to 2012, or the age of 12 to
24 years (Mahardhika et
al., 2021). Based on the results
of the DPT recapitulation, the voter group from
Generation Z is 46,800,161 voters or as much
as 22.85% of the total voters in the 2024 election. However, based on a CSIS survey, it is
known that the interest of
youth or Gen Z to participate in politics is very
low. The complex nature of politics
makes the younger generation, especially Generation Z, not interested in the world of politics,
government actions and behaviors that
are considered non-transparent
make the level of trust of
the younger generation in politics decrease (Nastiti, 2023).
The
election process is inseparable from the campaign
practices carried out by each
candidate pair. According to McGregor (2020), the campaign encourages public reflection back to itself
and provides information for communication and strategic decisions of the campaign.
In Indonesia, a political campaign
means a strategy that is commonly
used by political
parties or election participants to be able
to promote messages, visions and missions, and
convey policy directions (Amrurobbi,
2021).
According to Br�ndle (2022), the implementation of campaigns by becoming
digital activists is the result of
one of the
efforts of existing political and social movements
to use social
media sites that have the goal
of progressive, racist, or anti-systemic protests. Social media can be an effective
medium in increasing the knowledge, understanding, and even trust
of Generation Z in fostering political awareness and their
participation in current political issues (Pratama et
al., 2024).
The
presence of social media, which has been firmly attached
to modern society today, serves as a platform for mobilizing political awareness, debates, and political
advertisements, so that it can
help the public in fostering political awareness and making the right choice between
candidates and candidates (Ekoh &
Elizabeth, 2021). According to Gentina in the
book The New Generation Z in Asia: Dynamics, Differences,
Digitalisation mentions
that some of the distinctive
characteristics of Generation Z who are digital natives, meaning that the
generation of original digital products has the ability in the field of
technology and does not need to
adapt to learn every existing
technological development, including the absorption
of political content through social media.
Contemporary studies on
the role of social media on political awareness
and political participation, mostly focus on social
media as a preference for information sources and can influence
voter participation in
Indonesia. For example, political
research of the younger generation
through social media instruments that turns out to
be able to
stimulate youth to enter the
world of politics (Alamri et al., 2023). The research found
that social media can meet the
cognitive, personal, integrative,
affective, and even tension release
motives that millennials have when looking for
political information (Audina & Wahyutama,
2023). Some argue
that TikTok's social media has changed the way the
younger generation accesses and disseminates
political information by being more
likely to rely on social
media fully than conventional media (Albarzand et al., 2024).
This reflects a significant
lack of attention
to the important
role of social
media, especially TikTok, which is closely
related to the daily life
of Generation Z as young voters in elections which also have a great
influence on democracy in Indonesia. In addition,
the effectiveness of using social
media as a political campaign
medium from various perspectives such as the demographics of the target audience,
prospective young voters in the future,
as well as the views of people
who are not voters in
Indonesia are important to know. This research
seeks to overcome this void by
presenting findings on the role
of TikTok social media as a political campaign medium in building and even increasing
Gen Z political awareness,
Gen Z's perception of Australian citizenship
towards the political campaign system in Indonesia, and issues related to religious tolerance
which are important elements in increasing political awareness.
As part of and
representative of Generation Z, AIYA (Australia-Indonesia Youth
Association) Yogyakarta chapter
is the subject
of this research
based on its role as a strategic
forum for young people, especially Generation Z. AIYA is a non-governmental
organization that aims to connect
Indonesian and Australian youth in accommodating various initiatives to deepen understanding
of bilateral relations, build relationships, cross-cultural engagement, as well as creating a space for discussion
on relevant current issues (AIYA, 2024). AIYA
also has characteristics that are familiar with digital technology and social media, as a source of information
and a medium of self-expression.
RESEARCH METHODS
This study uses a type
of qualitative research with an
in-depth interview data collection method to explore the
role of TikTok
social media in shaping the political awareness
of Generation Z, especially among members of the Australia Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA)
Yogyakarta. Qualitative research
is research that produces data in the form of
written or oral words that reflect
the opinions and behaviors of
the observed people (Moleong, 2017). Meanwhile, an in-depth interview is an interview
process that is conducted directly
face-to-face between the interviewer and the respondent
to dig up
or reveal more in-depth and
personal data (Poerwandari
& Berliana, 2022).
This method was chosen to explore
a deep understanding of the political
experiences, views, and perceptions of AIYA Yogyakarta members. In addition, this approach is also
to examine specific phenomena in a broader socio-cultural context, especially regarding how social
media mediates the cross-cultural political views of AIYA Yogyakarta members who include
Indonesians and Australians. Critical and political theories
of media economy can analyze and reveal
how exploitation, domination, commodification, and ideology interact
with social communication media (Fuchs, 2021).
Interviews are held With ask several questions to respondents
in a span of 30 to 45 minutes face-to-face or online
with Google Meet.�����������
|
Gender |
Frequency |
Percentage |
|
Man |
1 |
16.5 |
|
Woman |
5 |
83.5 |
|
Total |
6 |
100 |
|
Age |
|
|
|
20 |
2 |
33.5 |
|
21 |
2 |
33.5 |
|
22 |
1 |
16.5 |
|
24 |
1 |
16.5 |
|
Total |
6 |
100 |
|
Citizenship |
|
|
|
Indonesia |
3 |
50 |
|
Australia |
3 |
50 |
|
Total |
6 |
100 |
|
Program
Studi |
|
|
|
Hukum/Law |
1 |
16.666 |
|
International Relations |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Law and
International Relation (Double
Degree) |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Environmental
Science |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Indonesian Studies
and Politics and International Relation (Double Degree) |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Psychology |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Total |
6 |
100 |
|
Positions at AIYA |
|
|
|
President
2024 |
1 |
16.666 |
|
President
2023 |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Event Officer |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Education
Officer |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Socio-Cultural
Event Officer |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Graphic
Designer |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Total |
6 |
100 |
|
University Origin |
|
|
|
Gadjah
Mada University |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Veteran National Development University of Yogyakarta |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Islamic University
of Indonesia |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Wollongong
University |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Deakin
University |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Melbourne University |
1 |
16.666 |
|
Total |
6 |
100 |
Based on the
data that has been collected in Table 1. It can be
seen that the resource persons
in this study on average have educational
backgrounds relevant to political studies,
international relations, and socio-cultural studies. This shows
a strong relationship between the academic
expertise of the interviewees and the focus
of this research,
which is centered on the
political consciousness of Generation Z. Various study programs, such as psychology and environmental science, also provide
a cross-disciplinary perspective
that can help understand how TikTok social
media can be used to shape
political awareness and build cross-cultural
narratives especially in Generation Z.
In addition, the position
of resource persons at AIYA Yogyakarta shows that they
are actively involved in organizational activities. Those who hold
positions such as President, Event Officer,
and Education Officer show that they are the
main drivers in this organization. Coming from leading universities
in Indonesia and Australia, these
speakers are able to bring different
insights based on the academic
and social experiences of each individual. The opportunity to compare views
between Indonesia and
Australia, especially related
to the response
to political content spread on TikTok, is
presented with various points of view. So
this emphasizes the relevance of
resource persons in analyzing cross-cultural and digital interactions to form political
awareness.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Role
of TikTok in the Formation of
Political Awareness of Generation Z
� �TikTok is becoming
one of the
most popular social media platforms today because it offers
different types of content to
share, including creativity, video challenges, lipsync, songs, dancing, singing, education, and promotion (Dewa & Safitri, 2021). In Indonesia, the majority of TikTok
users are generations Y and Z, of which
Gen Z is between 12 and 24 years old
(Mahardhika et al., 2021).
Based on data released
in October 2023 by the We Are Social site � Hootsuit � an online media content management service site that
connects with various social networking sites in the United States �, there are
106.52 million active users of social
media, especially TikTok. This number makes
Indonesia the country with the 2nd most
TikTok users in the world. Social
media users in Indonesia have
an average duration of 3 hours
and 17 minutes every day. The development of technology, especially through social media such as TikTok, reflects that technology
can affect the change of
self-attitude of its own users
and others (Villanueva et
al., 2017). This
is the basis for the importance
of the role
of social media, especially TikTok, in forming political awareness of Generation
Z as digital natives.
TikTok's social media presents
content in the form of short
videos and photo slides with various topics
and in accordance with current issues
and references from the account owner. This is
supported by TikTok's social media which has an FYP (For You Page) feature, which is a collection
of TikTok short videos that
appear on the homepage or
TikTok timeline (TikTok, 2024). TikTok Indonesia Newsroom also explained that a content can be fyp by using hashtags for certain issues,
relatable content, and the more
people who like and comment
on the content,
the more viral or widespread
the video will be. Therefore, political issues have become a trending
topic on TikTok since 2023 but are still under
TikTok's supervision with the classification
of Government, Politician, and Political Party Accounts (GPPPA) to set aside dangerous misinformation and TikTok also ensures
that their platform continues to provide
positive and open information (Vijay & Gekker, 2021).
As a popular
platform preferred by Gen Z
to find entertainment,
references, and sources of information,
it is not uncommon for TikTok
to also be
one of the
platforms for the campaign process
of several political parties and even the
2024 presidential candidate
pair (Alam, 2021). Although the
initial focus of the TikTok
company was not to develop this
application as a medium of political communication and other types
of campaigns related to politics,
TikTok has successfully played a role in politics in almost all countries in the world, especially
in the field of ideology development,
political activism, and internet trolls (Pahira et al., 2021).
Based on data found
in a study conducted on Generation Z who are members of the
Australia-Indonesia Youth Association
(AIYA) Yogyakarta, researchers found
that the role of TikTok
has a significant impact in
influencing the political awareness of Generation Z. Researchers also see that Generation
Z intensely access TikTok social media every day, there
are even some Gen Z who access TikTok
for more than 4 hours per day. Gen Z revealed that there are political issues that they often
find on their
fyp page, including the issue
of the 2024 election, the facts
of each pair of 2024 presidential candidates, criminal cases, and social
issues.
Political content that
we can find
through TikTok social media, including content from the
accounts of Indonesian presidential and vice presidential candidates as well as from related political
parties, for example @aniesbaswedan, @amuhaiminiskandar,
@gibran_rakabuming, @ganjar_pranowo, @mohmahfudmdofficial, @partaigerindra, and @dpppdiperjuangan. The content
of these accounts discusses and responds to
various political, governmental, social, criminal cases, and current issues
that are happening. Therefore, social media, especially TikTok, has an important value
as a means to provide knowledge and build individual and group awareness
of political values, and can
increase the participation of the younger generation,
especially Generation Z, in
political aspects in
Indonesia (Cedr�n & Civila, 2024).
The results of the
interview show that generation Z in AIYA
Yogyakarta uses TikTok as one of the
initial media to understand current issues, including political issues. SNH stated that Gen Z began to be
interested in politics through the campaigns
of presidential candidates who used TikTok with
content formats relevant to Gen Z's interests were able to build
high curiosity, for example the
use of the
concept of TikTok live campaigns that discussed K-Pop, jedag-jedug music, and even candidates who have a second account.
On the other hand,
RCA highlighted the weakness of TikTok
as a campaign medium, namely
the potential for politicization of content and
simplification of information at the expense of
the depth of political analysis.
Every social media can increase digital literacy related to knowledge, including
in the field of politics, but
users will always have difficulty
in choosing information that is proven
to be true
(Pratama et al., 2024). Although RCA also
acknowledged TikTok's role in raising political awareness, Gen Z must still rely
on discussions and literature studies as an addition
to strengthen their political understanding.
Based on the results of interviews
and data found, TikTok also took
a role in shaping the political awareness
of Generation Z in the early stages.
With the For You Page (FYP)
feature, TikTok presents political content in an interesting
way such as facts about presidential
candidate pairs, 2024 election issues, and other social
issues that make it an
initial research material for Gen Z to deepen
political understanding and awareness. AIYA Yogyakarta members not only use TikTok as a means of entertainment
and information consumption, but also as a medium to identify and evaluate
campaign strategies. TikTok's successful role in igniting Gen Z's political awareness
must remain vigilant to avoid
information manipulation that can unfairly
influence political views.
Generation Z AIYA Yogyakarta's
Attitude Towards Political Campaigns on TikTok
�Generation Z has a special view of
politics and has the political awareness
to comment on something that
is not in accordance with their understanding
(Damsar, 2019). The existence
of social media provides Gen Z with an interesting opportunity as young voters to seek
information and empower themselves in their own way
to actively participate in politics (Chang, 2019). In line with
the findings that Gen Z has made TikTok social media the main source of information in seeking information, Gen Z has an interest in politics because its content has touched their TikTok
fyp. Through political issues in TikTok content uploads, Gen Z has knowledge and understanding
of how they
should take a stance in responding to a political issue, as well as how they participate
in politics.
Gen Z is able to
explain the extent of their
knowledge of politics, which is always synonymous
with government power and policies.
This is in line with political
literacy which is something that
is always related to power
by being intended to regulate
the course of the nation's
life (Mahmud et al., 2019). This opinion
strengthens the definition of politics
from the point of view
of Gen Z, which basically puts forward the definition
based on the political content
they often encounter through the social media TikTok.
AIYA
Yogyakarta is a non-governmental organization that has the principle
of remaining neutral in political issues, so this
organization does not explicitly convey or upload political
opinions. As a cross-cultural
organization, AIYA focuses more on having
an inclusive discussion space to understand social
and political issues without taking the position
of a participant. However, despite this, political awareness among AIYA Yogyakarta members, especially Generation Z in Indonesia, continues
to grow.
TikTok as one of
the media widely used by AIYA Yogyakarta members also contributes
to shaping this political awareness, although it is more
at the individual level. With this approach,
AIYA Yogyakarta has succeeded in creating
an environment that supports the
exploration of knowledge, including politics, so that
there is still organizational neutrality while encouraging members to be able
to understand and discuss various
issues critically, including political issues. However, critical attitudes are the main character of Generation Z in AIYA
Yogyakarta even in the midst of the
rise of content
that is very
attention-grabbing and can increase the
political awareness of Gen Z. AR, for example, chooses to follow political
campaign information without following the official accounts
of certain candidates or political
parties in order to maintain neutrality.
In contrast to RCA, which states that
it is undeniable
that TikTok social media can present a lot of political content with campaign goals
and so on
that can affect how Gen Z votes, Gen Z's willingness to vote or not, and
even who Gen Z chooses in elections. RCA also explained his concerns regarding all political content
spread on TikTok which can
often be politicized, so that when viewed
through political glasses, the content
is seen in the same political
context in general, so he chose to
give a neutral attitude and further
deepen his information and knowledge related
to politics from various media, books, and discussion
rooms.
Generation Z at AIYA Yogyakarta shows a critical and selective attitude
towards political campaigns on TikTok
by making this platform their initial source
of relevant and interesting political information. They carefully observed the creative concept
of each presidential
pair's political campaign. On the other hand, they
maintain neutrality while continuing to deepen their
understanding of politics through various other sources
of supporting information such as books and discussion
rooms. TikTok is not only a campaign
medium, but also a reflection space for Gen Z to assess
the vision, mission, and political
strategy of presidential candidates (Soyudoğan &
Abdalli, 2023), but remain
wary of the
potential for content politicization that can influence
Gen Z's political views to become
biased.
Generation Z Political
Awareness in AIYA Yogyakarta Through
TikTok
The basic principle of political knowledge
comes from the important role
of social media in informing the public
about the political conditions of citizens (Zempi et al., 2023). The political
knowledge of Generation Z in AIYA Yogyakarta is
obtained through TikTok social media and their political
awareness is also influenced by interactions with digital media, especially TikTok. They not only passively receive information, but also actively seek
and verify developing political issues. In addition, Gen Z's political awareness
in AIYA Yogyakarta is also influenced by cross-cultural
interactions between countries. The presence of Australian members
provides another perspective that also enriches political
discussions between members at AIYA Yogyakarta.
The results of the
interviews show that Generation Z members at AIYA Yogyakarta make TikTok not only function as a source of political
information, but also as a discussion space that forms
the political awareness of Generation
Z. SNH and AR stated that TikTok is
very provocative for Gen Z to be
interested and support one candidate
with content that can strengthen
their reasons, deepen their knowledge
and be able
to decide to vote for
a candidate according to the political
views of each TikTok user.
However, this is
contrary to RCA's opinion which
states that TikTok can provide
a political spark that can affect
a person's political views and awareness,
but not significantly. RCA said TikTok is
a double-edged sword because the TikTok
format is in the form of short
videos whose information must be trimmed at
the expense of the quality
of the information
conveyed, so that the political
depth conveyed is often lost
and used by irresponsible parties to spread
fake news, inaccurate, or outdated thoughts.
Gen Z's political awareness
in AIYA Yogyakarta is influenced
by cross-cultural interactions between countries. The presence of Australian members
provides another perspective that also enriches political
discussions between members at AIYA Yogyakarta. This shows that
transnational interactions can expand the
spread of nationalist ideas, political discourse, and discussions related to global issues (Ernada et al., 2024).
Generation Z basically not only receives information
from TikTok passively, but actively seeks and verifies developing political issues. SNH revealed, in terms of psychology, Gen Z tends to look
for initial information through TikTok as the closest
social media to daily life rather
than looking for information in conventional media or text-based platforms. However, Gen Z still uses critical and
analytical skills to assess the
credibility of information sources to ensure that
the information consumed is true,
accurate, and relevant. This shows that in the
context of political awareness, Gen Z has great potential in maintaining democratic integrity through information verification activities (Rebori, 2019).
The AR explained that TikTok's algorithm, through the For You Page (FYP) feature,
hashtags, search, and even political
content creators play an important
role in shaping the political awareness
of Generation Z. This platform facilitates self-expression and sharing political ideas through creative,
interactive, and interesting content that is able
to spark the curiosity of
Gen Z. As a result, TikTok
not only increases the political awareness
of Gen Z, but also encourage political participation, such as attending debates and related
discussion rooms.
The political awareness of Generation Z in AIYA
Yogyakarta is greatly influenced by the
use of TikTok
as a source of initial information and a space for
political discussion. The
platform allows Gen Z to actively search, verify, and analyze
evolving political issues, especially through creative and interactive campaign content. Although some members
such as RCA cautioned that TikTok's format sacrificed depth of information, TikTok still encouraged
Gen Z to deepen their understanding and participate in political activities. Supported by cross-cultural
interaction with Australian members, it also enriches
perspectives on global and national issues.
�
Perceptions of Australian Members Towards the Campaign
System in Indonesia
The perception of Australian
members who are members of the
AIYA Yogyakarta organization towards
the political campaign system in Indonesia is an interesting
topic to discuss, given the complex bilateral relationship between the two countries.
This relationship is influenced by
a long history, including Australia's support for Indonesia's independence struggle in the early republican
period and various moments of tension due
to political differences and foreign policies implemented by the two countries
(Pangesti & Ribawati,
2024).
According to Pangesti & Ribawati (2024) from a psycho-historical
perspective that shapes Australians' view of political
stability, Indonesia is seen as a country with potential risks to regional security, including the East Timor conflict, Bali bomb terror, illegal drugs, telephone tapping, and border violations of Australian
customs ships. In addition, psycho-cultural perceptions also play an important
role in the perspective of Australians who have stereotypical views of Indonesian culture that are significantly different from the culture
of most white
Australians (Bhakti, 1996).
However, AIYA members who
are Australian citizens who are directly involved with the
Indonesian community in Yogyakarta show a more balanced
and open perspective. As revealed by IL, cross-cultural interaction that occurs through
discussions and collaborations between members, allows them to see
Indonesia not only from the perspective of the media but
also from the interaction between cultures which enriches Australian members' understanding of social, cultural, educational, and also some political
knowledge even though AIYA does not move as an organization
with a political focus.
Given that social media plays an important
role in shaping public perception, including negative news about Indonesia often dominates media coverage in Australia, creating an unbalanced picture
of political and social conditions
in Indonesia (Pangesti & Ribawati,
2024).
In the context of
political campaigns, AIYA members who are Australian citizens show a sense of
curiosity as well as concern for political
issues in Indonesia, especially
those raised on social media TikTok. From the
results of interviews with interviewees, it is known that
campaigns on TikTok often highlight
political content wrapped in entertainment elements rather than substance, such as prioritizing the candidate's personality rather than the policies
or vision and mission of
the presidential candidates, even though this approach
is considered effective in attracting the attention of
Generation Z.
The campaign approach model has been criticized, Australian members at AIYA Yogyakarta continue to acknowledge the positive potential
of social media, especially TikTok, in reaching Gen Z who are difficult to reach
through conventional media such as radio or newspapers. MW emphasized that campaigning using social media by targeting a younger demographic is a smart strategy
because it will get results
that are in accordance with the plan. This can increase
political awareness among Gen Z and help them to
be more involved
in the democratic process.
As for IL and LMK, both agreed that
packaging political content with creativity
and relevance to Gen Z's daily
lives can be an effective
way to become
more sensitive to developing political
issues and motivate Gen Z to participate in elections. On the other hand,
MW noted that in Australia,
this approach to social media-based campaigns has not had as much influence as in Indonesia, where campaigns are more often carried
out through conventional media such as TV, newspapers, and the like.
MW and IL are in line with the perception
that Indonesia has successfully
campaigned through social media and made Gen Z active in the political realm,
but in line with this, there
are several aspects of democracy such
as nepotism, information neutrality, and political integrity showing signs of
decline. IL emphasized the importance of strict scrutiny
of practices that can undermine
democracy, while MW highlighted the need for more
in-depth political education for the
younger generation, the introduction of critical thinking,
and a sense of neutrality. Both emphasized that although the
challenges of democracy always exist, campaign innovation through TikTok shows great
potential in fostering political awareness of Generation Z, as well as being an
inspiration for campaign strategies for other countries
to adapt similar approaches.
However, it should
be noted that the practice
of democracy in Indonesia and Australia shows fundamental differences in the history of development,
government structure, and the level of
political participation of their citizens.
Reporting from the Australian Embassy in Indonesia, the campaign process in Australia takes place within
the framework of a strictly regulated
parliamentary democracy to ensure fairness
and transparency with the supervision
of the Australian
Electoral Commission (AEC) (Roberts & Habir, 2015).
Overall, AIYA Yogyakarta members with Australian citizenship see the political campaign
system in Indonesia as a reflection
of unique social and cultural
dynamics. Although there is criticism
of sensational elements and the
potential for the dissemination of inaccurate information
through the most widely used
social media of Gen Z, namely TikTok. They also appreciated the creativity and active involvement
of the younger
generation in Indonesian politics.
This perspective underscores the importance of cross-cultural
dialogue in strengthening a
deeper understanding of democracy and
political practice between countries.
Australia's Views on Religious Tolerance
in the Political Context in Indonesia
Religious tolerance is
one of the
important indicators in assessing the quality
of democracy (Rahman et al., 2024). In this context,
Australia pays great attention to the
issue of religious tolerance in Indonesia,
considering Indonesia's position as the largest democracy in Southeast Asia with a very diverse society
in religion and culture (Rasyid et al., 2020). Religious tolerance
is not only about religious diversity, but also how this
diversity can be managed properly
through respecting Human Rights (HAM), non-violence, and fostering a nationalist sense of the state
(Kurniasih et al., 2022). This view
underlines the importance of Indonesia's
democratic stability by maintaining the stability of
religious tolerance.
As for Australia as a country with a strong tradition
of multiculturalism, the existence of
a policy of multiculturalism requires the government and other institutions
to encourage pluralism through public policy in a variety of ways,
such as accommodating cultural or religious
minority practices, allowing certain styles of dress
in school settings, or providing public
funding for certain racial, ethnic, and religious
minorities (Wiryaningtyas, 2020).
Based on the results of interviews
with AIYA Yogyakarta members
who are Australian citizens, IL stated that Australians' views on Indonesia reflect expectations for religious practices
and even a more inclusive democracy. By utilizing social media such as TikTok, people can be encouraged
to be more
open to interfaith dialogue and political
views so as to support the
creation of a more democratic public space considering
that Indonesia has freedom of religion in accordance with the six recognized
religions and provides space for adherents of
certain faiths, such as groups of believers in accordance with the Administration and Population Law (Adminduk) number 24 of 2013.
Freedom of religion
is the inherent
right of each individual to choose, practice, and change their
religion or belief without any pressure or
discrimination from any party (Rustam & CinthiaTarigan,
2021). Bashel & Fauzan (2024) explains that
this definition is in line with
the principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (DUHAM) which states that freedom
of religion is a fundamental right that must be
safeguarded by every country that
upholds human rights values. In 2023, Indonesia's democracy index will get a score
of 79.51 (BPS, 2024), although this
point is not ideal, there is a tendency
to a positive trend regarding the implementation of human rights.
Political awareness actually
includes not only an understanding of the government
system, but also an appreciation
for diversity and differences that are maintained (Utami et al., 2024). Political awareness
among the public, especially Generation Z, is the foundation for a healthy democracy
based on a deep understanding of democratic principles,
including respect for human rights such as freedom of religion, opinion,
and expression (Tumbol et al., 2017).
Based on an interview with LMK, TikTok as a very popular social media platform among Gen Z
also plays an important role
in disseminating information,
not only about the presidential candidates' campaigns but also related
to issues of religious tolerance,
human rights, and other social issues
that are easily accessible to Generation
Z. While MW highlighted the big differences
between Gen Z in Australia who
are generally not interested
in religious content, They did not grow up
to be religious.
However, MW also observes that Gen Z in Indonesia is still very
religious and involves their religious beliefs to determine how
they view and approach the
world of politics.
�Ultimately, religious tolerance as part of the
spirit of pluralism, the peaceful existence
of people with various political,
religious, or ethnic identity ideas (Gorokhovskaia et al., 2023), is part
of the foundation
of Human Rights (HAM) which is one
of the key
elements in measuring the quality of
a country's democracy. The growing political awareness among Generation Z through social media such as TikTok shows great
potential to strengthen democracy in
Indonesia. With Australia's
support and progressive views, collaboration between the two countries
can create a more inclusive, adaptive and sustainable
model of democracy.
CONCLUSION
Political campaigns using
TikTok's social media to reach young
voters are an effective strategy in igniting the political
awareness of Generation Z. As for Australians' point of view, political
campaigns in Indonesia through
TikTok are considered an innovative approach
although this strategy should be more emphasized
on substance and quality verified
information, rather than just entertainment
or sensations that sell a candidate's
personality. The political awareness that arises among Generation
Z is based on a deep understanding
of democratic principles, including respect for human rights such as freedom of religion,
opinion, and expression. Religious tolerance is not only about religious
diversity, but also how this
diversity can be managed properly
through respect for Human Rights (HAM), non-violence, and fostering
a nationalist sense of the state.
Based on the results of
the observations above, it can
be said that
Gen Z is not as apolitical
as many parties, both academics and political observers.
They have a flexible perspective on politics, as long as information can be obtained
from various platforms. TikTok is not the main medium to grow and
increase political awareness, because Gen Z is not just a Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) to follow political issues that only
passively receive information, but actively seek and
verify political issues that develop.
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