Fostering Digital Literacy, Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Informatics Holds the Digital Literacy Week for Hundreds of Citizens in Kupang

KUPANG, Indonesia, June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Informatics continues to collaborate with the National Digital Literacy Movement Siberkreasi to present the series of #MakinCakapDigital campaigns. Addressing the theme of "The Importance of Knowledge and Skills in Using Digital Media", the Digital Literacy Week workshop was held on May 30, 2023, at Grand Mutiara in Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara.

According to the data from We Are Social, the number of active social media users in Indonesia reached 167 million people in January 2023. This figure accounts for 60.4 percent of Indonesia's population. Furthermore, the average time spent by the Indonesians on social media amounts to 3 hours and 18 minutes per day. As of January 2023, the top three social media platforms widely used in the country are WhatsApp (92.1 percent), Instagram (86.5 percent), and Facebook (83.8 percent).

In his opening remarks, the Acting Head of the Provincial Office of Communications and Informatics of East Nusa Tenggara, Yandri Lasi, emphasized the need for competent human resources to keep pace with the rapid advancements in information technology. He emphasized that literacy plays a crucial role in accelerating the development of a digitally capable society, including ethical behavior in using social media. "Social media literacy enables the community to gain the ability to filter and verify the information they receive. Optimizing the use of social media is beneficial for individuals, the surrounding environment, as well as the development of East Nusa Tenggara and Indonesia as a whole," said Yandri.

Creative Industry Advocate and Digital Enthusiast Ivan Raymond Rondo stated that the influence of social media continues to grow globally. Therefore, smart social media use is highly needed to prevent the spreading of hoaxes. "We need to ensure that the information we share on social media has a positive influence and verify its accuracy before posting, without the need to rush simply to be the first to share," said Ivan.

Ivan's explanation aligns with the findings of a survey conducted by Reuters Institute in collaboration with the University of Oxford on global news consumption patterns and the digital market in the Digital News Report 2022. The survey revealed that 68 percent of Indonesians consume news through social media, surpassing television at 57 percent and print media at 17 percent.

Next Generation CEO, Khemal Andrias, shared some tips and tricks for creating engaging content and ways to increase engagement on social media. According to him, content should have a twist or an unpredictable story as well as an emotional approach. He added that people should still pay attention to ethics and not go overboard just to chase virality. The challenge lies in capturing the attention of netizens and ensuring they comprehend the message being conveyed, even within a limited duration," said Khemal.

In addition to Khemal's point, Zacharias Yezua Matias Therik, Founder of DMBS Creative Group, emphasized the importance of brand building on social media. Once a positive branding is established, social media can be used as an effective marketing tool that brings profits. "With creativity as our asset, we can utilize social media as a fast and cost-effective marketing tool," said Zacharias.

The residents of Kupang City displayed tremendous enthusiasm as they actively participated in the workshop. The event was attended by 800 attendees, including members from the Kupang Cycling Community, Kupang Sharing Community, Academic Forum, and numerous MSME enthusiasts. At the end of the workshop, the participants were entertained with captivating performances from the local bands, engaging stand-up comedians, and various exciting door prizes.

For more information and other digital literacy events, visit http://info.literasidigital.id, http://event.literasidigital.id, http://literasidigital.id, and follow @Siberkreasi and @literasidigitalkominfo on social media.

About the Ministry of Communications and Informatics

The Ministry of Communications and Informatics of Indonesia, through Ditjen Aptika, has the primary function of spreading and developing the national digital infrastructure to accelerate Indonesia's digital transformation.

The Ministry is working with National Digital Literacy Movement Siberkreasi as its partner to provide education on digital literacy to the broader public through various forms of media. This movement focuses on using digital literacy to elevate national capability and further the Indonesian people.

SOURCE The Ministry of Communications and Informatics