Preventing Hoaxes, Utilization Of The Internet Must Be Accompanied By Digital Literacy

Deputy for Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh (Photo: Screenshot of Indonesian Hindu Prajaniti)

JAKARTA - Deputy for Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh said the widespread use of the internet among the public must be accompanied by an adequate increase in digital literacy.

According to him, the ability to manage digital information is very important in countering hoaxes. Moreover, in the current pandemic situation, people rely heavily on cyberspace to obtain information amid restrictions on mobility.

"The increasingly widespread use of the internet must be accompanied by intelligent digital literacy skills to avoid misinformation," he said at the Prajaniti National Dialogue on Saturday, July 10.

Ni'am added that currently young groups are the main targets for spreading hoaxes. In his data, 85 percent of fake news specifically aims to influence the mindset of people with immature age ranges.

“The young generation or millennials are not yet fully mature, moreover, they are still looking for new sources of information. For that, it must be fortified with an increase in correct digital understanding so that the information received can be digested properly," he said.

Although digital also has negative excesses, Ni'am said that current technological developments bring many positive sides to life. One of the things that was stated was the ease of online shopping transactions which developed in the pandemic era.

"We have data that 51 percent of online shopping transactions during the pandemic were carried out by those who were trying it for the first time. This is a big leap and it's mostly done by millennials," he said.

In general, Naim said that the pandemic had prompted significant changes to various aspects of life.

"The acceleration of the use of digital technology is currently giving birth to a new culture in society that affects attitudes, behavior patterns, and also people's culture, including in terms of religious practices," he concluded.