Communication Practitioner: Healthy And Smart Internet Use Is The Way We Are Not Contaminated With False Information

Communication and business practitioner, Teguh Yuwono (Photo: Screenshot)

JAKARTA - In today's all-digital era, we can directly feel how fast digital technology is being driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Massive social media also carries a great risk of the negative impacts of using social media such as fraud, spreading false news, hate speech, and so on.

According to the We Are Social report, in early 2022, internet users in Indonesia reached 204.7 million people. This indicates that the number increased by 2.1 million from the previous year.

Therefore, the Director General (Dirjen) of Aptika at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, said that the increased use of digital technology must be balanced with a capable digital literacy capacity.

The healthy use of social media according to Teguh Yuwono, as a communication and business practitioner is how we are not contaminated with incorrect information, useless information, and bad information. We must stay away from any information that can interfere with common sense.

While the use of media intelligently is a matter of our ability to collect information and then use that information.

"With the internet, we can find information. True intelligence is not relying on knowledge on the internet, intelligence is the ability to collect information and use it," he explained in the "Chat with Legislators" Webinar with the theme Stay Healthy and Smart in Cyberspace, Wednesday, April 20.

In essence, Teguh emphasized that the smart use of cyberspace is a matter of how information should be collected and used. "Because the information on the internet is plentiful and complete," he continued.

Before entering the virtual world, there are four things that must be owned and understood by users, namely awareness, responsibility, confidence, and concern.

"Before posting, try to sort and judge by our minds and hearts, whether the information contains aspects of truth, benefits, and goodness or not," he said.