By: Ahmad Kholikul Khoir *
Today, we are in an era where the barometer of truth no longer lies in objective facts, but in the pull of emotions and subjective beliefs. So, not a few we find people who share a news, without going through the screening process. As a result, easily lies (hoaxes) are scattered everywhere.
Lying news has become a plague that destroys human reason and morals. Where the survivors no longer do not enjoy structural education, but also the intellectuals. Because the social media often only presents information that is considered relevant to its users (algorithm). So easily miss-information, until disinformation that leads to polarization.
Not a few tensions and social conflict in Indonesia which was ignited by social media hoaxes. One of them is the case of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) who attacked, even burned down the headquarters of the Indonesian Lower Peoples Movement (GMBI). So that the losses incurred reached hundreds of millions of rupiah (Okezone 03/28/2018).
However, there have been many attempts by the government to overcome this problem. One of them is by making Law No.11 of 2008 on Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE). Unfortunately, many of these efforts are curative. In fact, the root of the problem lies in human nature which must be manipulated positively.
To that end, elements of society must participate in overcoming
this problem, especially young people. As The Founding Fathers Ir. Soekarno said, “If youths aged 21-22 years do not struggle at all, do not aspire, do not work for their homeland and nation, this young man should be shaved his head”. This is a reminder for us young people to have a spirit of unity in overcoming the nation’s problems: hoaxes.
Social problems problem
Sadly, not a few young people who have been exposed to radical understanding. As BIN’s (2017) study notes, there are 24 percent of students and 23.5 percent of high school students who approve the establishment of an Islamic state in Indonesia. In fact, radicalism is one of the headwaters of a setback, even the destruction of a country.
Many factors trigger the emergence of radicalism in youth (millennial). One of them is social media propaganda. The reason is, young people in this digital age, to search for broader information always depend on the media. In fact, not a few understand the radical to the hoax that is still widespread in it. Unwittingly, this country’s gold assets are exposed to such hoaxes and understandings.
Really, it’s not easy to overcome this problem. Where youth radicalism no longer lies in the cognitive domain, but has entered the affective domain. The reason is, social media can affect the brain’s limbic system that contains feelings and emotions, which can create long term memory (long-term memory). For this reason, efforts must be made to restore common sense, as well as to foster positive emotions in them.
Various Efforts
There are several efforts that must be made so that young people do not get infected by radicalism. First, peer education (peer education). It is undeniable, education at the School to College level has taught nationalism. However, this effort did not have much influence in minimizing radicalism. The reason is, they trust more information obtained from their peers. For this reason, there is a need for peers who are able to be a true information distributor (peer educator).
Second, increasing national dialogue in universities. As stated by the Director of the National Agency for the Prevention of Terrorism (BNPT) that one of the drivers of the inclusion of radicalism in the campus environment, is the lack of understanding of students related to nationalism (Seconds 29/06/2018). Therefore, the campus must hold national dialogues as often as possible. In order for this institution, not to become a den of destroyers of diversity.
Third, hold interfaith dialogue. As stated by BNPT, student radicalism is also triggered by a lack of understanding of religious teachings. Then interfaith dialogue must be encouraged. However, not with a discussion that shows the truth, and the mistakes of each religion. The reason is, this often triggers social hatred and conflict. The intended dialogue is to open the door to mutual understanding and religious inclusiveness. The hope is that youth empathy and positive emotions can be raised.
Really, it’s not easy to be a youth in the era of disruption. Many challenges must be faced, ranging from hoaxes, radicalism and others. In fact, the role of youth is needed for the country, so that development plans and progress can be realized immediately. Therefore, preventive measures related to hoax transmission must be maximized. so that radicalization of youth can be avoided.
- The writer is a Psychology Study Program Student at the Islamic University of Indonesia, as well as the Hafidz Quran UII Awardee.
