Aiming At The Emotional Side Of Social Media Users Without Scientific Data, ICW Calls Buzzers Quick To Receive Sympathy

JAKARTA - Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) Coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo said the increasing existence of buzzers in the public policy process has triggered the emergence of unhealthy narrative battles.

This was conveyed by Adnan in the webinar "Buzzer in the Colosseum of Rome," Thursday, October 14 today. An unhealthy narrative is a narrative that emphasizes the formation of public opinion without involving healthy public debate.

Adnan explained that a healthy public debate, especially on social media, should be data-based, scientific, based on available evidence, measurable, objective, involving specific expertise.

Most buzzers lead public opinion on various issues that are dominated by public policy and political interests by targeting the personal and sentimental emotional side of social media users. Thus, they will more quickly get sympathy and support.

"Buzzers can package information in such a way that scientific matters are no longer relevant in the context of public policy," Adnan said as quoted by Antara.

Lecturer of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Diponegoro University, Wijayanto, when opening the webinar said that buzzers are users of fictitious accounts on social media that influence public opinion on certain issues.

The phenomenon of the emergence of buzzers is often used to carry out campaigns, whether it's products, politics on social media, and even to lead public opinion.

The lecturer and Director of the Center for Media and Democracy Studies at the Institute for Economic and Social Research, Education and Information (LP3ES) also said that the presence of buzzers had influenced several cases in Indonesia.

Such as the 2019 presidential election, revisions to the KPK law, the Omnibus Law, and direct regional head elections in the midst of a pandemic. The research is stated in the article "The Threat of Cyber Troops" which has been uploaded on the Inside Indonesia page.

According to Wijayanto, manipulation by buzzers can actually be avoided by paying attention to their characteristics.

The main characteristic is the emergence of many narratives containing elements of similar issues on social media. Thus, social media users should be careful absorbing information from such narratives.

In the discussion that was motivated by the rapid influence of information technology in the social and political ecosystem, Adnan Topan Husodo said that not all buzzers were in favor of the interests of power.

There is also a buzzer that voices positive issues consistently. They must be invited to echo the public policies that are being fought for.