By: Dwi Cahya Alfarizi )*
The digital world is developing very rapidly, information can reach all corners of Indonesia in just seconds. Even without being searched for, it is information that actually seeks its audience. Without the need to open a newspaper, anyone will know what information is currently being reported through social media.
The existence of social media also allows anyone to express their opinion, even during elections, smartphone users can easily post content in the form of writing, graphics or video. This convenience is often used to sway public opinion, especially ahead of the 2024 election.
Sympathizers, political party cadres and election participants are competing to seek support through social media, they hope this can win the sympathy of young voters who are active on social media.
Political gossip or hot nudges between parties are things that can create a lot of comment columns, not infrequently differences of opinion or differences in choices will actually lead to acts of blasphemy against each other.
This shows that social media can be a digital trap or trap, political hoaxes that spread become weapons for practical political practitioners to bring down political opponents.
Social media activists or those who are familiarly called netizens will certainly feel that their virtual space seems noisy because of the many voices voicing political views through their social media accounts.
Moreover, someone can easily create a fake account that aims to provoke or spread threats.
Research conducted by LSI Denny JA, in January 2023 reported that there are top 3 social media users in Indonesia , namely Facebook (52.5%), Instagram (31.1%) and TikTok (29.4%), while Twitter users only (8.3%).
It should also be realized that social media is a platform that eliminates locality, so that everything that is recorded and uploaded will suddenly become a global spectacle, even though the event is on a local scale.
The problem is that digital spaces that are “spectacle” are actually dominated by digital stages with themes of intolerance and SARA which focus on identity and anti-difference, even though differences are a necessity which should be a blessing to know and respect each other, not blaming each other. blaspheme each other.
Therefore, social media must be used properly so that the implementation of the 2024 elections becomes conducive and takes place peacefully, of course this requires maturity and wisdom from social media users.
On a different occasion, I Dewa Kade Wiarsa Raka Sandi as Head of the Socialization, Voter Education, HR and Parmas Division of the KPU, explained that social media is a space for hoaxes and hate speech to circulate.
Social media such as Facebook has dominated hoax narratives or fake news. Moreover, social media does not have standards like mainstream media which of course has control mechanisms before content is broadcast.
Of course, he hopes that there will be collaboration from both the media and stakeholders to create healthy elections.
Of course, parties or election participants are allowed to use social media as a campaign platform to socialize their programs.
Meanwhile, Idham Chalik as Head of the KPU Technical Field Division said that the social media campaign rules for the 2024 election will refer to Article 47 paragraph 2 (a) and (b) of PKPU Number 11 of 2020, whereby political parties can create official accounts on social media. for campaign purposes with a number of conditions:
1. At most 30 official accounts for the entire application, for the election of Governor and Deputy Governor.
2. Maximum of 20 official accounts for the entire application, for the election of the Regent and Deputy Regent and Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Idham said that the social media campaign rules for the 2024 election would propose additional social media accounts. He said it would at least be the same as the 2020 simultaneous regional elections.
It should also be noted that based on PKPU Appendix I Number 3 of 2022, the 2024 Election campaign period will be carried out for 75 days, starting November 28 2023 to February 10 2024.
Previously, the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) urged the General Elections Commission (KPU) to make KPU regulations (PKPKU) regarding campaigns on social media in the upcoming 2024 elections. This was done so that there would be no personal attacks or religious beliefs.
Rahmat Bagja as the chairman of the Bawaslu said that there should be limits, his party encouraged PKPU to limit the space for social media to be used as an arena for personal attacks, attacks on religious beliefs and so on.
He explained that campaigns on social media were actually not prohibited. However, campaigns on social media must be limited so as not to exceed the limit.
Bagja also doesn’t prohibit anyone from campaigning on social media, but of course there have to be limits and see the pros and cons of the content displayed.
The general election (election) is a democratic party that involves many parties, of course the massive social media must be used wisely, because if the use of social media for campaigns is not controlled, of course it will make the election atmosphere more complicated, so that all parties need to succeed these activities.
)* The author is a contributor to Persada Institute
