Music, language and fashion shape Jakartan pre-teen lifestyle

Music, language and fashion shape Jakartan pre-teen lifestyle

By Rita A. Widiadana

"Nyokap, bokap cabut, kita nyepik ke Pim, asyik lhaa yaow !"

JAKARTA (JP): What speech! These strange words will surely raise the eyebrows of many a parent.

This is a modest example of an exchange between a group of pre-adolescent boys and girls gathering (nyepik) at Pondok Indah Mall (PIM) while their mothers (nyokap) and fathers (bokap) are out (cabut). There are a lot more words and phrases in the vocabulary of Indonesian teenage language.

Don't try to find these words in a Bahasa Indonesia dictionary, they were created by teenagers for their own purposes.

Donna, 13, said it's interesting to use this slang language.

"We have to learn new terms almost everyday. If we don't master the language, we are considered out of date and out of the gang as well," said her friend Riri.

Ariel Heryanto, a sociologist from the University of Satya Wacana, commented that slang has always been common among teenagers. Word forms will change according to existing trends. The words gua (I am) and elo (you), which used to be considered as language of lower-class Jakartans, have turned into official words for both teenagers and adults.

"Slang is part of modern life. It has become a lingua franca that unites all youngsters regardless of their social background," Ariel maintained.

Interestingly, many slang words are adopted from advertising on radio and TV.

"The slang words spread very fast, but they soon disappear and are replaced by new ones. Teenage language is very dynamic, a reflection of its users," said Ariel.

Fashion

Today's pre-teens have succeeded in drawing attention to themselves through their dress. In big cities like Jakarta and Bandung, this group of society seems to be everywhere, in the streets, malls, movie theaters and sport stadiums. They are bound by how they spend their time, their attitude towards life, their preference in leisure activities and sports. These similarities, which are also found in their fashion and music tastes, is quite intriguing because it has never been seen in Indonesia.

Shinta D., fashion editor of the Gadis teenage magazine, sees the current fashion trends among teenagers as encouraging.

She explained that many copy the style of American rappers. They wear the obligatory accessories such as short pants or loose baggy pants, tight T-shirts teamed up with an extra-large tartan or striped flannel shirts. Trendy sneakers and baseball caps are also compulsory, Shinta said.

Young girls tend to imitate fashion styles worn by teenage Hollywood stars from TV series like Beverly Hills, Melrose Place and even the Mighty Morphine Power Rangers.

"Let them wear whatever they like, but we have to give the correct guidance," Shinta noted.

Indonesian teenagers imitate western fashion styles because they don't have Indonesian models who represent their way of life, she said. Shinta expressed her concern over the lack of magazines that can help pre-teens state their fashion style. Most magazines concentrate on fashion for mature and established women. Only a few local designers produce apparel for teenagers, she complained.

Rudita Priyandini, fashion editor of Anita Cemerlang magazine, is of the opinion that fashion trends among pre-teenagers are very inspiring and enriches the local fashion scene.

"Now they are crazy about rap or grunge, they will gradually switch to another style as they grow older," Rudita said.

Music

These young people like a wide range of music but mostly follow rap and rock.

Irwan Iskandar, deputy chief editor of the popular teenage magazine Hai, commented that pre-teens and teenagers are more apt to follow any changes in society as compared to the kids of the l980s. The 1990s youngsters will follow any trend in fashion, music and lifestyle.

"They do not hesitate to listen to anything in vogue. In my opinion they have more self-confidence," Irwan noted.

This group of pre-teens listen to anything easy, unlike their seniors, who were quite conservative in selecting their favorite music.

"I'll bet they will love any song that reaches the Top Charts," he added.

He went on to say that previously a teenager would faithfully follow a rock group. They would sacrifice their pocket money to buy the latest album and would defend the group if their friends criticized its music.

"When I was teenager, I remembered arguing in favor of my favorite musicians. Once we liked rock music, we closed our ears to other kinds of music," Irwan reminisced.

Budi Kusnendar, music editor of the Anita Cemerlang teenage magazine, shares Irwan's view and says that you can't classify rap as teenage music because they listen to rhythm & blues by Boyz II Men, Roxette's pop and rock by Bon Jovi or Nirvana.

Aside from western groups, Indonesian teenagers also idolize local musicians like Iwa. K, KLA project, Padhyangan Project and Denada Tambunan, a famous local rapper.

This trend, Budi explained, is clearly shown when people attend a concert.

Hundreds of youngsters pack every music concert, particularly those performed by foreign artists, Budi said.

They went to the Run-DMC, Kriss Kross and Color Me Badd concerts because they are trendy. But, surprisingly, they also grabbed the front row seats when Sting, Chicago and Roxette performed in Jakarta.

Irwan added that they went to concerts to improve their social status rather than for a love or appreciation of the music.

However, Irwan admitted that now teenagers have a wider opportunity to enjoy and learn about various kinds of music through both printed and electronic media. They can see both local ad international musicians on several private TV stations.

A large selection of glossy teenage magazines and newspapers provides information on music and other items.

In the past, young people only heard music on the radio stations or a tape recorder. The state TV station rarely broadcasted concerts of world-class musicians.

"We should look at this trend as positive. It is lucky that these youngsters live in high-tech era that enables them to obtain information on various forms of music. Let them choose their own music to enrich their unique world," Irwan insisted.