A letter to the internet generation in Indonesia
Note: I wrote this three years ago. I had just graduated two months prior, I did a lot of self-taught on quantum mechanics and had truly enjoyed reading and learning, and I wanted my friends to understand that that joy is possible and accessible. We were all lost then, wondering if we made the right choices with our career and academics, and I wanted to emphasize that we have unlimited possibilities of contribution and knowledge in the palm of our hands.
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The ministry of communication and informations Republic of Indonesia stated that on 2015 the internet user in Indonesia has reached 82 million user. A large number, but not surprising , No one can deny the existence of information communication and technology (ICT) and how strongly it influence our lives. It has become an essential part of our daily routines and even shape our lifestyle. The impact of ICTs extends beyond productivity gains. It is a vector for economic and social transformation.
What’s surprising is almost 90% of internet usage is used for social media. A research conducted by APJJI and PUSKAKOM UI shows the age demographic of internet users in Indonesia, and the largest percentage belong to an age group of 18 to 25 year olds. These users make up for 49% of the total internet user in Indonesia.
An interesting fact, since I belong in that age group, and I reflect on the people around me. I myself use social media, as young adults we enjoy those platforms to share our stories, post photos, share the latest music and news, and also to interact with one another. With a number that large, we can conclude that the young adults of our nation is dominating the internet scene. Without us realizing it, the younger generation holds a power to control the direction of the information communication and technology in Indonesia.
The World Economic Forum published a report about Network Readiness Index (NRI), also referred to as Technology readiness. NRI measures the propensity of countries to exploit the opportunities offered by information and communications technology (ICT) . A widespread and systematic usage of ICT by individuals, businesses and government can trigger a transformation on a country’s competitiveness. The NRI reveals a correlation between a country’s level of ICT uptake and the economic and social impacts ICTs have on its economy and society.
Indonesia ranked 79 from 143 countries accross the globe. The highest rank goes to our neighbouring country Singapore. Followed by Finland by a close second and Sweden on the third rank. Another neighbouring country of ours Malaysia ranked 32 on the scale. What indicators are used by the World Economic Forum for these ranks? There are ten subjects which involves political and regulatory environment, business and innovation environment, infrastructure, affordability, skills, usage for individuals, business, and government, and also the economic and social impacts. The computation of the rank is based on the cummulative score of those indicators.
How does Singapore, with only 3,9 million internet user, can reach the number one position as a country with the highest NRI score? Well, they must have used the technology for a more beneficial purpose than us, with 82 million user, which only ranked in 79. A rank that makes sense if we spend most of our time on social media.
The research by APJII shows that the most used platform we use for accessing the internet is through mobile phones. That means that we have an abundant amount of information, literally at the palm of our hands, but we are not using these platforms to it’s deeper purpose, we have not yet to realize the power of ICT can revolutionize our nation.
There are an unlimited quantity of information that spread throughout the internet every second. We have access to those information, but instead we choose to focus on the things that’s easier to digest. Gossip about the latest celebrity, drama inside the government, funny memes, sad love posts, and all other things that we see everyday on the timeline of our social media. Of course it’s every person’s right to use their phones however they want to, but if you realize the power you hold towards the change of a better nation, would you really care about which instagram filter to use?
When was the last time you read about the latest technology discovery? Did you read about the groundbreaking proof for gravitational waves just recently? What about political news? Environmental news? Socio-cultural, economics, any kind of information that you can easily access, but deny to receive. Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful tool which you can use to change the world, and each one of us, 82 million of us, holds that tool in the palm of our hand.
I understand the double edged sword of information, too much information can cause a bias, on the internet we can find so many people who promotes discrimination and prejudice, cyber bullying and also hoaxes. So instead of enhancing the quantity of information intake, why not enhance the quality. Gain more information on things you are passionate about, make sure about the credibility of that information, and always remember to think of the impact of that information before you share.
The NRI is proof of the power of information and how it influence our lives on a large scale. We hold a massive weapon in our hands, some use that weapon for offense, most of us use those weapon for recreational use, and some, use them to fight a war against ignorance. The question is, which one are you?
I refuse to be a part of a generation who are blind to these facts, that refuse to do something in their power in order to build a better nation. Sometimes, the littlest act with good intentions goes the longest way. It’s easy to complain, It’s easy to sit back and watch our nation crumble and just think “well, this is Indonesia”. We are not a generation of pessimists, we are not a generation of ignorants, we are the pilars of the future of Indonesia, and i urge you to stand up, straighten your back, lift your chin, and use that weapon for a better purpose today.
