Indonesia’s 2024 Election: A Landscape Shaped by Algorithms and Influencers
President Joko Widodo’s term of office will soon end. For the first time in 10 years, Indonesia will crown a new leader. Indonesia needs a visionary, strategic, honest and competent leader, and political campaign is an essential part of an election to showcase the candidates’ competency. This time, the methods used by the campaign team from each of the candidates are different from previous years’ elections.
Money plays a significant role in Indonesian elections, particularly presidential election. Wealthy candidates and those backed by powerful business interests have an advantage in financing rallies, advertisements, and even bribing voters. In previous elections, one of the methods used by the campaign team was they would bribe voters by giving away a sum of money (sometimes not even more than $10), staples (rice, sugar, cooking oil, etc.), and customized shirts with candidate’s face on it. Realistically speaking, people were quite disinterested in elections and politics because they think that whatever is going on in the government will bring no difference in their life. Of course they will accept the free package that’s delivered door-to-door by the campaign team.
This upcoming election, though, is different. With 107 million of the voters consisting the youth (that’s 52% of the total voters), the old ways are not going to work on them. They’re educated enough to know that election is more than just shirts and sacks of rice giveaway. They also know that nothing good will ever come with money politics.
An independent movement initiated by non-profit organizations, Think Policy and What Is Up, Indonesia?, became an example of how Indonesian youth are not going to sit down and watch their country move in circles. They’ve built a website called “Bijak Memilih” (which translates to “choose wisely” in English), providing honest and based on quality information about everything related to their upcoming presidential election, aiming to help create educated voters.
Despite all that, the campaign team will always find a way to win people’s hearts. And considering half of the voters are tech-savvy generation, the teams are doing a race on conquering the internet.
Each of the candidates are a part of Boomers and Gen X — except the vice presidential candidate no. 2, Gibran, who’s a Millennial — and yet, they’re all adapting to the youngsters’ way of living. The candidates are seen hanging out with influencers: they’re doing podcast, vlogs, and even watching anime together. The candidates also uploads contents on social media that suits Millennials and Gen Z’s taste. Sometimes they upload memes. They use social media to its fullest potential since they are aware of who their target audience is. YouTube, Instagram, X, Tiktok, you name it.
Despite how effective it is to use online platforms for reaching younger voters, we can’t deny the increased risk of disinformation. Not to mention how “buzzers” are scattered in Indonesia’s side of the internet. “Buzzers” are individuals or groups paid to promote or manipulate information online, particularly on social media, in favor of a specific candidate or political party. They spread propagandas, fake news, biased reports, rumors, boost their favored candidates while at the same time they attack the opposing candidates. They flood online platforms with pro-candidate content, making it difficult for opposing views to be heard and seen.
The usage of buzzers has been proven quite effective on the internet, especially towards Boomers and Gen X. They mock, attack, and start debates online. Sometimes harsh and inappropriate words are included. Millennials and Gen Z, however, are smart enough to not fall for buzzer’s traps. Instead, they become the buzzers themselves. They got agencies that provides such services, with price range starts from $200 for 100 comments or tweets. Considering how easily Boomers and Gen X Indonesian get fooled online… maybe winning the election is just a buzzer away. This is where everyone in Indonesia have to work together. They need to educate themselves and the people around them in this topic. Shaping Indonesia into a better nation isn’t a one man job.
In the midst of technology-based campaign in this year’s election, I found Anies Baswedan, candidate No. 1’s campaign method interesting. He and his team created a program called “Desak Anies” where they visit cities in Indonesia and gather people to open discussion. Baswedan directly interacted with the public, particularly students and young people. What makes it different than the traditional rallies is how the program is adapting an informal, casual and relaxed setting, making everyone who attend the event more comfortable to chat with him. The program encouraged open questions, debates, and critical thinking around various issues. Creating this program helps him develop a stronger bond and intimacy between him and the people.
Whatever the outcome of the election, it will unlock a new and ground-breaking chapter in Indonesia’s history, while also bring about positive change and progress for all Indonesians. Learn more about Indonesia’s 2024 Election here.
