Digital life now touches every aspect of our lives. Yet many internet users still consume information without the skills to understand or verify it, leaving people exposed to false content.
In response, the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) held a digital literacy webinar series called #MakinCakapDigital with the theme “Digital Media Literacy.” The webinar on October 26, 2021, in Tangerang was attended by dozens of participants online.
Speakers included Aidil Wicaksono (CEO of Pena Enterprise), Mikhail Gorbachev Dom (Researcher at the Institute for Humor in Indonesia), Nyoman Diah Utari Dewi (Lecturer at Universitas Ngurah Rai, IAPA), and Muhammad Bima Januri (Co-Founder of Localin).
Aidil Wicaksono opened the webinar by explaining the core competencies of digital media literacy. “They are digital understanding, production, distribution, participation, and collaboration,” he said. Digital media requires digital skills.
Digital skill means the ability to know and understand hardware and software, information search engines, how to use and filter information, and how to access features inside messaging and social media apps.
The main values of digital media are creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Users should use digital media for positive activities and share knowledge respectfully.
Mikhail Gorbachev added that ethics are essential on social media. Be careful when sharing personal information publicly. Use proper norms when interacting with others online. Be cautious with unknown accounts and do not post content from unclear sources.
“Negative content often appears online for economic gain, scapegoating, politics, or division,” he said. The antidote is understanding the motivation behind information, controlling the urge to consume harmful content, and choosing only useful content.
Nyoman Diah said privacy is the right to enjoy a private life and communicate without being spied on. “Privacy includes controlling access to personal data and information about your life,” she said. Protect data by avoiding phishing, choosing strong unique passwords, using two-factor authentication, and not using public Wi-Fi.
As the final speaker, Muhammad Bima urged people to think critically. “Good content is not always true, and true content is not always worth sharing. Filter before sharing,” he said.
During the KOL session, Arya Purnama said the internet offers positive benefits when people understand how to use it properly. “Avoid negative content and focus on positive behavior online,” he said.
A participant named Dinda asked how millennials can maintain ethics when creating content.
“Strong content can be emotional, either positive or negative. If you are a content creator, observe, imitate, and modify. First, avoid negative content that goes viral, then choose content that is useful and positive,” Gorbachev replied.
The webinar is part of a digital literacy series in Tangerang. It is open to anyone who wants to understand digital literacy. Organizers plan to invite all young people by Instagram @siberkreasi.dkibanten.
The event also thanked all supporting parties, especially Kominfo. The program will succeed only if it receives support from all stakeholders and reaches the target of 12.5 million participants.