As we know, fellow UNDIRA friends, Indonesia is currently not in a stable condition. Our nation is now facing widespread demonstration activities, both in Jakarta and beyond, as a manifestation of prolonged public dissatisfaction that has been simmering.

While demonstrations themselves possess a cumulative voice in nation-building through civil society participation in expressing opinions and aspirations, they remain fundamentally driven by individuals with varying emotional levels and diverse backgrounds.

This is where caution must be exercised, particularly in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), where information dissemination can occur massively within a short timeframe. Social media, as a product of IoT, represents one of the networks that has brought significant changes to the world of communication and information regarding global developments.

Provocation is highly susceptible to occur at present, as we are aware. Easy access to technology and social media can readily alter communication patterns and public perception—this is where echo chambers emerge. Simply put, echo chambers play a role in creating spaces for currently trusted content.

It is also possible that certain echo chambers can trigger misinformation, which, when connected to current circumstances, can influence the formation of societal behavior (which has been turbulent from the outset).

Fellow UNDIRA friends, we can directly observe how edited content combined with narratives can provoke public anger. From the burning of public facilities to store looting, these actions do not represent genuine forms of aspiration.

As academics guided by principles of Vision, Integrity, and—particularly relevant in this context—Professionalism, these values should be applied in life, including when voicing aspirations. By engaging in inappropriate actions, we not only diminish our professionalism but also inflict suffering upon people who are already experiencing economic hardship and social pressures.

One community leader, Ferry Irwandi, even stated that during moments filled with "condition creation" like these, instead of triggering panic, misjudgment, and irrationality, such tendencies should be set aside.

"How do we combat the anarchy and misinformation spreading today? With weapons? No. There should be alternative ways to express aspirations while maintaining safety—through awareness and wisdom to see things from different angles," he stated in his YouTube post.

As beings created with reason, we should be able to filter information that appears on our feeds and not be provoked by issues spreading on social media. "In moments of crisis, panic does nothing"—think and conduct comparative studies of various information across media and accounts appearing on feeds. Remember the adage "cogito ergo sum"—by thinking, therefore we exist.

Through demonstrations, we all have a role in voicing aspirations—but do so with full consideration and responsibility, especially as educated academics. In crises like these, safeguard not only aspirations but also collective safety and humanity—trust that we can all navigate this phase safely through collaboration in maintaining collective security! #SalingJaga

Source of Reference: 

Ferry Irwandi - Dalang Demo dan Mencegah Darurat Militer