MPR Encourages Gen Z Digital Economy Based on Four Pillars
Purwokerto (ANTARA) - Member of the MPR RI, Siti Mukaromah, is encouraging Generation Z to seize digital economic opportunities while remaining grounded in the values contained within the Four Pillars of National Identity, ensuring they do not lose their identity amidst rapid technological developments.
“In utilising technology, we must not abandon religious and national regulations. Creative freedom must remain within the corridors of norms, ethics, and national values,” said Siti during the Strengthening and Socialisation of the Four Pillars of National Identity event, titled ‘Accelerating the Digital Economy Based on the Four Pillars of National Identity’, held in Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Friday.
She stated that the Four Pillars of National Identity—comprising Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity)—must serve as a guide for the younger generation in facing technological progress and leveraging digital economic opportunities.
According to her, technological advancement opens vast spaces for the youth to develop creative businesses, market products, and promote regional potential.
Siti cited Banyumas as an example, noting its various economic potentials, such as ‘gula semut’ (coconut sugar) which has become an export commodity, as well as the MSME and livestock sectors that can be developed through digital marketing.
“Banyumas is a very rich region. There is much potential that can be developed into economic sources; it simply depends on how we are able to process and market them by utilising technology,” said the legislator, who is also a member of Commission VII of the DPR RI.
She added that the development of the digital economy opens many opportunities, meaning the younger generation does not necessarily have to rely on formal employment.
“This mentoring does not end with today’s forum. In the future, it could take the form of smaller discussions, bringing in motivators or training in preferred fields so that our friends are better prepared to face the future,” she said.
Speaking after the event, the legislator, affectionately known as Erma, stated that the heavy flow of information in the digital era necessitates the continuous strengthening of the Four Pillars of National Identity, especially for Generation Z, who will become leaders and policymakers in various fields in approximately two decades.
She noted that the ease of accessing information allows various influences, both positive and negative, to easily enter the lives of the younger generation.
“If that foundation is lost, what enters instead are the pragmatic values they acquire from the digital space. Yet, in about 19 years, Generation Z will hold various strategic roles in the life of the nation and state,” she said.
She added that strengthening national values is a shared responsibility, ranging from families and schools to policymakers.
According to her, character education, religious values, and the habit of upholding norms, etiquette, and manners must also be continuously strengthened so that the younger generation can use technology wisely without abandoning their national identity.