By: Natalia Tania *)
Jakarta, CIDISS – Digital economy is a trend among the business opportunities ahead. Digital economic empowerment through the use of Internet technology is something that cannot be rejected because of competing demands businesses in expanding their business. Thus, in the end would not want the public to be aware of the benefits of Internet technology to help them in their economic empowerment.
Although Indonesia is the fourth country in the world that using facebook with percentage of active Facebook users reached nearly 20% of the total population. But, it is unfortunate with the number of users that digital media has not been used for purposes outside the venue for socialization.
One of the main causes of people not aware because their thinking is more likely to just use, imitate, or follow the trend, without exploring the use of digital media even further. It is too bad if we just stop as a consumer without the benefit of access and convenience offered by digital technology to work. Even though the potential of this country is very large.
When President Joko Widodo visited the USA, the digital economy be the main topics discussed. If the concept is realized, the potential value of the digital economy Indonesia in 2020 reached 130 billion US dollars or equivalent to Rp 1.690 trillion. The question is, what concrete steps should be prepared and made to realize that concept?
Information and communication technology cannot be separated from the hardware, software, network, and Human Resources (SDM). Indonesia is lagging far when the vision of the digital economy ranging from hardware and software side, because we have not been able to answer all the challenges of infrastructure. Thus, the opportunities that can be exploited Indonesia is Human Resources.
We can learn from the efforts Google and Facebook, how reliable drafters able to create an application program, web design maker, and create jobs for operators who run the program. The key is, how to prepare skilled workers through vocational education. Skilled workers in the field of information and communication technology should be created as much as possible. The fastest way to create a massive is through Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK). If we have adequate labor, Indonesia will certainly have strong basic analog. Countries that have strong basic analog will benefit digital economy characterized by faster economic growth.
It is time for digital media users in Indonesia optimize this technology in various aspects of life. No longer merely as consumers but also use it as a medium to educate the public, to change thinking, provide solutions, and encourage them toward a better change. The digital age is an opportunity for us. We just need to choose between the two; “tricked” or “empowering”. [NT]
*) CIDISS Contributor