Institut Teknologi Bandung

In this era, the growth of technology has defined many aspects of life, including the act of democracy. Technology gives power and role to every individual.

With the drastic escalation of its development, the world is thrown into unfamiliar situations. Prof. Henri stated that the old principles and regulations are no longer relevant- this is where academicians do their job by renewing these rules.

The current technology does not only signify a new period of history but also changes its course. Several critics and theories from Frankfurt School, Chicago School, and Toronto School remarked that this rapid transformation can be viewed back during the printing press generation; the transition was welcomed and marked the revival of the Renaissance era.

Digital technology is evolving fast. New business, politics, and communication models arise by enabling millions of people to be economically and socially interconnected. Thus, simple device access may prompt a person to become a critic, reporter, or journalist.

However, some parties took advantage of this all-digital era, especially those that own global digital platforms. The existence of surveillance capitalism resulted in digital devices that can read human behaviors and treat users as a commodity.

Prof. Hendri, who also taught communication studies at Airlangga University, exemplified that there are issues concerning social media usage in society. For instance, pseudo-truths became more prevalent because of discourse manipulation and propaganda computation. Misinformation that are assumed to be the truth can alter a person's reality and turn them into a fanatic.

Fanaticism tends to cause a nation’s downfall. It brainwashes a handful of its citizens to believe that their crafted reality is an absolute fact. If left unchecked, it may trigger conflicts that worsen into civil wars. “In the past, segregation only existed in the real world. Nowadays, it can be found in the digital sphere where everyone is in the same echo chamber," Prof. Hendri added.

To avoid unwanted scenarios due to digitalization, the government introduced policies that manage digital activities. These regulations are more familiar to the public as UU ITE (Law on Electronic Information and Transactions).

Reporter: Kevin Agriva Ginting (Teknik Geodesi dan Geomatika 2020)
Translator: Ruth Nathania (Teknik Lingkungan, 2019)