JAKARTA Commemoration of the Birthday of Pancasila on June 1 should not be just a ceremony. In the midst of the swift flow of digital information, the Deputy Chairperson of the Golkar Party as well as Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet) emphasized that the values of Pancasila must be a guide in maintaining national unity and integrity.
The celebration of the Birthday of Pancasila must not stop at the ceremony. This is a moment to reflect on our role in maintaining unity, especially in the digital space which is now a new field of value struggle," said Bamsoet in Jakarta, Sunday, June 1.
Bamsoet highlighted the rapid growth of internet users in Indonesia. Based on data from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), in 2024 there will be more than 215 million internet users, or about 78% of the population. This makes cyberspace the main space for social interaction, as well as fertile land for opinion and identity formation.
However, Bamsoet reminded that advances in digital technology also bring serious challenges. Political polarization, spread of hoaxes, hate speech, and intolerance often stem from social media. Data from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Technology shows thousands of reports of negative content circulating every year, reflecting the urgency of strengthening the values of unity in the digital space.
The echo chamber phenomenon and social media algorithms make people trapped in narrow views. The third principle of Pancasila, the Indonesian Union, is the key to overcome this split," he said.
Bamsoet also highlighted the threat of disinformation from abroad that has the potential to shake national stability. As the third largest democracy in the world, Indonesia has a strategic position in global geopolitical. He stressed that maintaining a digital identity is part of maintaining a national identity.
"Strengthening the spirit of Pancasila is a form of national resilience. A collective awareness that digital identity is part of the nation's identity must continue to be built," he said.
He also invited all parties, especially the younger generation, to actively instill Pancasila values in digital activities. He emphasized the importance of literacy and media ethics as part of the nationalism of the new era.
"Today's nationalism is no longer a matter of lifting weapons, but rather protecting the digital space from division and maintaining diversity," he continued.
SEE ALSO:
According to him, Pancasila's teaching is not enough through memorization. The contextual approach through short films, educative vlogs, or social media campaigns is more effective. He appreciated the regional communities that began producing local language content as an effort to bridge local identity with the spirit of nationality.
"That is the true meaning of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, live and be present in cyberspace," concluded Bamsoet.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
