Observer Urges Public to Strengthen 'Thinking Sovereignty' in Post-Truth Era
Digital Communication Observer at Laju Institute, Mandra Pradipta, also known as Dipta, is encouraging the public to strengthen their sovereignty of thought in facing the rapid and emotional flow of information in the post-truth era.
According to Dipta, the problem of the post-truth era is not only related to the spread of hoaxes, but also the way society treats information, which is often influenced by emotion, identity, and personal belief.
“The biggest problem in the post-truth era is not only incorrect information, but the way the public treats information. Many people no longer ask whether something is true, but rather whether it aligns with the beliefs they already hold,” said Dipta in his statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He said the speed of the digital space allows the public to receive video clips, comments, and various public reactions within seconds before checking the context and truthfulness.
“When the orientation towards truth weakens, the public easily feels they know, even though what they have received is only partial. Fragments of information are then treated as a complete picture,” he said.
Repeated reinforcement from a digital environment with similar views can also make it increasingly difficult for someone to accept different information.
“Post-truth often causes facts to lose, not because facts are unavailable, but because humans are more comfortable with information that reinforces themselves,” he said.
According to him, the challenge is becoming more complex with the development of artificial intelligence, which enables the creation of synthetic content, image manipulation, voice imitation, and even fake videos.
Therefore, the public cannot rely on visual appearance as the sole measure of truth.
“In the past, people often demanded visual evidence. Now, visual evidence must also be read with new vigilance. Technology is now capable of imitating reality very convincingly,” he said.
Dipta encouraged the strengthening of digital judgement resilience through the habit of checking information before believing and disseminating it.
“Differences of opinion are part of democracy. What is dangerous is when differences are no longer grounded in a willingness to respect facts,” he said.
He believes the media, educational institutions, the government, communities, and public figures have a responsibility to maintain the quality of the information ecosystem.
Public trust needs to be built through thoroughness, consistency, accuracy, and the courage to correct mistakes.
“Trust does not grow from the volume of voices, but from the willingness to maintain accuracy. In digital communication, thoroughness is part of moral responsibility,” he said.
Dipta emphasised that society needs to be able to distance itself from the flow of information, weigh messages, and understand the interests behind them so as not to be easily directed by emotional pressure.
“In the post-truth era, independence of thought is the public’s last fortress. Without the ability to weigh information clearly, society is easily directed by emotion, not by reality,” he concluded.