Misbakhun on Challenges Facing Young People in Social Media Era: Beware Information Distortion
Mukhamad Misbakhun, Chairman of Commission XI of the Indonesian House of Representatives, has discussed the challenges facing young people in an increasingly digital era. He believes young people must be media literate so they can filter information effectively in this digital age.
Misbakhun initially conveyed several messages to young people during Ramadan 2026, hoping that this holy month could serve as a time for self-reflection.
“We receive Ramadan, which lasts only 29 or sometimes 30 days. This is our best opportunity to reflect, to slow down the pace of our lives somewhat. We should absorb more spiritual energy into ourselves, then reflect to develop social wisdom,” Misbakhun said during detikcom’s Sacred Month Inspiration programme on Thursday, 26 February 2026.
This Golkar politician stated that the current wave of digital distortion is extremely powerful. Every member of the public can easily obtain information, including from social media.
“Social wisdom is important for young people, because the current generation is facing very strong information distortion, an extraordinary flow of information,” Misbakhun said.
“They are on social media platforms ranging from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, X, and various Threads, and all of them present an extraordinary amount of information,” he added.
He noted that in the era before technology accelerated so rapidly, information could be verified properly. He pointed out that nowadays there are also media outlets that create news content but whose data validity is questionable.
“Back in my time, we mostly read news from newspapers or online news that had already been filtered by editorial leaders and editors. They were responsible for the content, and it was clear who the sources were. Now, anyone can create news content whose truthfulness cannot be tested,” he said.
Misbakhun views this as a challenge for young people. He hoped that during Ramadan, young people could reduce their time on social media and instead choose to reflect on themselves.
“They will even present falsehoods. And this is a current, an era that is very disturbing for the new generation. A challenge. That is why during Ramadan, we have an opportunity to reduce screen time, to reduce the number of hours we spend scrolling and such, and to reflect more on ourselves,” said Misbakhun.
He encouraged people to fill Ramadan with positive activities, particularly those related to spiritual development. Additionally, he believes Ramadan should be filled with activities that benefit others.
“When we reflect on ourselves, we should start thinking about matters of spirituality. Why do we live? We need to do good for others, we need to act to provide benefits to people, then we build social wisdom. We build good relationships with friends, siblings, and parents, and if we can, we contribute to our community, whether a small community or a larger one,” he concluded.