Young generation dominates digital users in Indonesia, says Communications Minister

Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid has stated that the younger generation is the most dominant element using the internet in Indonesia. “Of the 230 million people who use the internet, 60 per cent are young people,” Meutya Hafid said in Medan, North Sumatra, on Sunday. Meutya said this figure has captured the central government’s attention in terms of improving the younger generation’s understanding of the digital world. The minister stated that young people are an element that is often targeted by criminals because they are considered to lack digital understanding. “Digital literacy is important for them, because 60 per cent of internet users are the younger generation,” she said. Meutya explained that the development of digital technology brings many benefits, ranging from the expansion of access to information, education, and the economy, to social networks. However, she said, these benefits can turn into risks if the internet is not used wisely by the younger generation. Moreover, she noted, the digital space is currently increasingly filled with content containing insults, hatred, slander, and false information as a result of being inseparable from the way digital platform algorithms work, which encourage controversial content because it attracts more attention. “If not used wisely, the internet is a double-edged sword; it has many benefits and also many drawbacks,” she stated. Therefore, her ministry will strengthen understanding of the internet world in order to prevent the younger generation from becoming targets of criminals. She invited young people to be pro-active in rejecting all indications of digital crime by undertaking various efforts, including reporting to the authorities. “The importance of digital literacy is so that the public is not easily influenced by hoaxes or provocative narratives deliberately spread to mislead the public,” she said.