JAKARTA - Kartini Day, which is commemorated every April 21, is not only a moment to remember Raden Ajeng Kartini's struggle in fighting for women's equality, but also an event to reflect on the role of women in the digital era.
If in the past Kartini fought for access to education, now women face a new challenge in the form of the rapid flow of information that demands digital literacy skills.
Academic from the University of Nusa Cendana (Undana) Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Maria Pabha Swan, assessed that Kartini Day can be used as an opportunity to strengthen the role of mothers in countering disinformation.
"In the spirit of Kartini in this digital era, the role of women, especially mothers, can be likened to a goalkeeper who is able to filter information, both disinformation and misinformation so that families are not fooled by hoaxes," he said, as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, April 21.
As a lecturer in Communication Science at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Undana, he explained that women are the front line in the family. Mothers are the first educators for children before they know formal education, so they not only need intellectual intelligence, but also digital literacy skills.
He also emphasized that women have a protective instinct, including in protecting families from the threat of digital fraud and cybercrime which is increasingly rampant.
"If a mother has good literacy and is able to filter information, then her family will be better protected from exposure to hoaxes and disinformation," he said.
In the context of using social media, he said women are included in the group with a high level of activity, so it is important to understand the ethics of media. One habit that needs to be avoided is sharing information excessively or over sharing.
According to him, content trends such as monetization and FYP encourage many people to share almost all personal activities, even though not all of them are worth consuming by the public.
"Not everything needs to be shared. An example is children. Children are not content objects and must be protected," he said.
He reminded that sharing sensitive information, such as children's photos or details of their activities, can open up opportunities for cybercrime. The more personal information that is spread, the greater the risk faced.
In addition, the public also needs to be more selective in receiving information on social media. Not all information can be trusted, so it is important to choose credible sources and conduct verification.
He also invited the public to apply the principle of "filtering before sharing".
"Share what is important, not just want to post. If in doubt, it's best not to continue," he said.
Maria added that the use of social media must be done wisely while still paying attention to ethics and security, both for oneself and the family.
He hopes that the spirit of Kartini today is not only interpreted as an emancipation struggle, but also as an encouragement to increase digital literacy.
"If in the past it was known as 'after dark, the light will come', then the current Kartini is expected to bring the spirit of 'after hoaks, the fact will come out'," he concluded.
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