Engaging Young People in Development Through Creative Social Media Spaces

Surabaya (ANTARA) — Amid the growth of digital technology, social media is one of the spaces closest to young people’s everyday lives.

Platforms long used for communication, entertainment and networking have greater potential. Social media can serve as a shared creative space where young people develop ideas, build collaborations and find solutions to community problems.

That potential will not develop on its own. When youth participation is measured mainly by follower counts, likes and whether content goes viral, creativity risks becoming a digital activity with little meaningful social impact.

The challenge is not simply to encourage young people to be active on social media, but to build an ecosystem that connects digital activity with development needs.

The spirit of the Youth Pledge teaches that change can begin with the initiative of the younger generation. This principle remains relevant to development today.

Young people should not be merely targets of government programmes or beneficiaries of policies. They need to be involved in identifying problems, formulating solutions and evaluating development outcomes.

Social media provides communications infrastructure that can make this process more open. Young people from different regions can exchange ideas, map local issues, share knowledge and mobilise support for social initiatives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can also be used to assist with preliminary research, process information, draft programme plans and produce educational materials.

Imagine a group of young people in one region developing a campaign to reduce waste through short videos, then linking it to an environmental reporting system and local waste-bank activities.

Elsewhere, a youth community could create educational content to help micro-business owners market their products, improve packaging and reach new customers.

These examples show that digital creativity can be a gateway to community participation. Success should not be measured solely by how widely content is shared, but by whether it encourages behavioural change, strengthens residents’ capabilities or helps solve shared problems.

Creative spaces on social media therefore need to be designed as more than publication channels. They should be places to learn, experiment and collaborate, and to connect ideas with action.