The 2024 elections are just months away. Something particularly interesting about the 2024 elections is that the predominantly young voters will participate for the first time.
“The number of young people aged 17-39 is approximately 60%. Therefore, the choices of young people will determine the outcome of the upcoming elections,” stated Dr. Adhianty Nurjanah during the Diskoma discussion held by the Master’s Program in Communication Science, UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, on Saturday (October 28).
Dr. Nurjanah, a lecturer at UMY, mentioned that politicians are trying to capture the attention and convince the youth through various means, including framing their image on social media.
“Hence, the youth must be astute in their choices and not abstain from voting, as this is a tangible action that can determine Indonesia’s future for the next five years,” she emphasized.
Meanwhile, Zainuddin Muda Z. Monggilo, a Communication Science lecturer at UGM, stressed that elections require active participation from the youth. There are rights and duties of citizens that must be fulfilled for democracy to function correctly.
He also reminded the youth to be wise and actively fact-check information to ascertain the truth while participating in politics.
The youth are encouraged to voice their opinions and utilize social media for political participation and “collaboraction” to promote intelligent citizenship in preparation for the 2024 elections.
Monggilo also highlighted a severe challenge leading up to the elections: the serious disruptions caused by disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation, which could threaten the election process and its outcomes.
Author: Diah Fitrianti
Editor: Ika