Now, elderly people also spend their time using information\ntechnology, one of which is through social media.<\/p>\n
Through social media, they can expand cross-generational connections,\nhold virtual face-to-face meetings with old friends or family, share\nphotos and videos, and even use it as a source of information.<\/p>\n
The Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry, through its 2025\nIndonesian Digital Society Index (IMDI), revealed that Indonesians are\ngenerally digitally competent on average. This is reflected in the 2025\nIMDI score rising by 1.19 points to 44.53, up from 43.34 in 2024.<\/p>\n
This picture aligns with the 2025 survey by the Indonesian Internet\nService Providers Association (APJII), which showed that elderly people\nare among the highest groups of mobile phone users, reaching 91.13\npercent.<\/p>\n
However, the high use of smartphones by elderly people is not\nnecessarily matched by adequate understanding or literacy levels.<\/p>\n
It is because one of the four pillars measured in the IMDI, namely\ndigital literacy, needs extra attention, as its score fell by 8.97\npoints to 49.28.<\/p>\n
Misinformation<\/p>\n
Information disorders are generally divided into three types, which\nare misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. The concept was\nformulated by Claire Wardle and Hossein Derakhshan in their 2017 book,\nInformation Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research\nand Policymaking.<\/p>\n
Although all three have negative impacts, each type of information\ndisorder has its own distinct characteristics. Misinformation is false\ninformation spread without intent to cause harm, although it remains\nmisleading.<\/p>\n
Unlike misinformation, disinformation is false information\ndeliberately created and spread to harm others through manipulation or\nfabrication.<\/p>\n
Malinformation, meanwhile, is fact-based information spread with\nmalicious intent to harm certain parties, for example by exposing\npersonal data publicly, which can trigger harassment or hate speech.<\/p>\n
Therefore, digital literacy is crucial to keep promoting across all\nlayers of society, including elderly people. This group is the most\nvulnerable to hoaxes and scams.<\/p>\n
Digital literacy activist from the Indonesian Anti-Hoax Society\n(Mafindo) Heni Mulyati said elderly people are highly vulnerable to\ninformation manipulation, such as artificial intelligence (AI)-based\ndigital scams.<\/p>\n
This situation is understandable given the rapid pace of\ntechnological change. Psychological and social factors also play a role.\nElderly people who feel lonely tend to seek interaction on social\nmedia.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, these \u201cnew connections\u201d in cyberspace are often\nexploited by criminals to carry out romance scams or financial fraud by\ntaking advantage of leaked personal data.<\/p>\n
The Illegal Financial Activities Eradication Task Force (Satgas\nPASTI), or the Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC) under the Financial\nServices Authority (OJK), recorded staggering figures for online fraud.\nSince beginning operations on November 22, 2024, through July 31, 2026,\nIASC has blocked 607,210 accounts out of a total of 1,179,881 reported\naccounts.<\/p>\n
In addition, IASC has successfully blocked around Rp724.1 billion in\nfunds related to financial fraud and returned Rp204.3 billion to victims\nfrom perpetrators\u2019 accounts.<\/p>\n
Family support<\/p>\n
The public in Denpasar city, Bali, was shocked in late May 2026 by\nviral information on social media claiming a pocong ghost was haunting\nthe Monang Maning residential area in Denpasar.<\/p>\n
The information even prompted the Denpasar City Police to launch an\ninvestigation, as many people, including old people, believed it because\nthe photo appeared real, causing public unease.<\/p>\n
After investigation, the information was found to be a hoax created\nby a junior high school (SMP) student in Denpasar.<\/p>\n
According to police, the photo had been manipulated using AI as a\nprank by the student.<\/p>\n
Another example is Darmawati, a 63-year-old woman in West Denpasar,\nwho nearly fell victim to a scam that pressured her to transfer money\nafter being told she had won a prize draw from a bank.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, she was warned by her close family, including her child,\nabout the attempted scam, allowing the loss to be prevented.<\/p>\n
One telltale sign of an online scam is that the perpetrator always\npressures the victim, inducing panic and giving them no time to think\nbefore acting.<\/p>\n
Therefore, there are three important steps the public, including\nelderly people, can take to avoid becoming online scam victims. First,\nhold back before acting; then verify the information through official\nwebsites or credible media; and confirm or ask family, close relatives,\nor official parties.<\/p>\n
Digital ethics<\/p>\n
The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) is like a double-edged\nsword, where it can be beneficial and make people\u2019s work easier\ntoday.<\/p>\n
However, AI can also become a weapon for spreading hoaxes and digital\nscams if it falls into irresponsible hands.<\/p>\n
According to journalism expert and Adjunct Associate Professor Angela\nRomano from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane,\nAustralia, five core principles of digital ethics are essential for\nresponding to information disorders driven by technological\nadvancements, including AI.<\/p>\n
The first of these digital citizenship principles centers on personal\nresponsibility, emphasizing the need for critical thinking when\nevaluating and consuming incoming information.<\/p>\n
The remaining four principles include understanding the rights of\nothers, maintaining respect for fellow digital citizens, applying sound\nreasoning through media literacy, and building self-resilience against\ndigital manipulation.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, AI is also one of the tools for verifying\ninformation, widely provided by major technology platforms. This method\ncan be introduced to elderly people gradually.<\/p>\n
Even so, Romano stressed that AI is not a sole solution, as it can\nstill contain errors.<\/p>\n
Therefore, digital literacy and ongoing guidance are key to\npreventing the public, including elderly people, from being exposed to\nth<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/digital-literacy-crucial-as-elderly-face-rising-online-scam-risks-1788529880", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }