By: Agus Rahmat)*
Social media is currently believed to be a fertile field for the spread of radicalism, intolerance, and terrorism. The public is also asked to be aware of the spread of this forbidden understanding and always be wise in receiving information.
The ferocity of radicalism is increasingly visible when they penetrate social media as a new place to spread poison. They understand that many Indonesians like to vent on social media, especially young people. Therefore, social media is used as the right place to spread radical and terrorist ideas while at the same time attracting many new cadres for regeneration.
Kombes Aswin Siregar, Head of the Anti-terror Detachment 88 Operations Section of the National Police, stated that technological advances and the pandemic conditions in the last 2 years forced many people to enter a borderless virtual world, and this was exploited by radical groups and terrorists. In a sense, they are dangerous because they have followed the latest trends to spread radicalism.
Kombes Aswin Siregar added that currently radical groups have IT (information technology) experts and they use multimedia and social media in carrying out their actions. In a sense, the existence of IT experts who become cadres of radical groups is something that is sad because their intelligence is actually used as a way to spread radicalism, like using a knife in the wrong place.
All Indonesian citizens must be aware of the spread of radicalism on social media because many people do not get trapped by the persuasion of radical groups. The reason is, there are people who are too innocent and want to be invited to meet on Facebook, in fact they are secretly hypnotized to want to join radical groups. If this is the case then it’s really terrible.
Members of radical groups take advantage of social media because Indonesians are among the top 5 largest social media users in the world, meaning the more they spread radicalism, the more people are trapped by it. This should be watched out for because when someone opens social media in a relaxed state, whatever is read will enter the brain, even though it is dangerous like radicalism.
Do not let the members of radical groups increase because many are exposed on social media, especially young people, because they open Instagram and Facebook almost every hour. Young people need to learn how to use the internet and social media in a healthy manner and not carelessly accept friend requests on Facebook. They also shouldn’t chat too often because it could be a terrorist group.
In addition, the next way to prevent the spread of radicalism on social media is to use critical thinking. If someone persuades you to join a radical group and meet them on Facebook or Instagram, think again. Is jihad really cool? Is it true that Indonesia is suitable to be a caliphate country? The youth must read a lot and think critically so as not to be deceived by radical groups.
If we are aware that social media can be an arena for the spread of radicalism, it is time to eradicate this understanding. First, report an account that often spreads hoaxes and propaganda about radicalism by clicking report this account and directing many people so that the account can be frozen by social media managers. Second, just report to the cyber police if there are radical and terrorist accounts.
We must be aware of the spread of radicalism and terrorism on social media because cyberspace is a suitable place to go viral, including news from radical groups. Don’t let radicalism spread because radical cadres use social media. If there is anything suspicious then don’t hesitate to contact the cyber police.
)* The author is a contributor to the Circle of the Equator
