By: Rifqi Mantemas *
Millennials are the generation that is considered the most vulnerable to being swallowed by hoaxes or hoaxes. Based on the We Are Social survey in 2017 around 18% of social media users are students aged 13 to 17 years. At the end of 2016, there were 800 thousand sites indicated to spread hoaxes and hate speech. This condition is very unfortunate because social media, which should be a forum for democratic education, is filled by people who are not intelligent in social media.
Millennials must be able to identify hoax news because the consequences of this hoax are very worrying. In addition to having a negative impact on all parties, false news can also provoke and negative agitation. Igniting hatred, anger, rebellion, and division.
False news usually contains bad reputation information on someone or something, spreading slander, and spreading false information. Hoax news increases during the election season. Aiming to overthrow your opponent, make a false story that triggers Millennial emotions to get angry. So that when emotions have been maximized provoked by false news, a great opportunity for young people to create social unrest is creating division and chaos in the midst of society.
As a young generation that strengthens the nation, Millennial must create conducive conditions in the community especially in determining the election of leaders who can unite the nation and care for their people. To counteract hoax news, educated young people are invited to actively report to the authorities by sending news evidence.
Because youth is the right time for planting integrity to be the coveted National leader in the future. Therefore, let’s fight hoaxes and use voting rights intelligently for advanced Indonesia and maintain national unity.
*Blogger / Student IAIN Manado North Sulawesi
