Social Media and Politics: Examining Indonesians’ Political Knowledge on Facebook
حوزههای تخصصی:
The Internet and social media have played a significant role in contemporary
political sphere of Indonesia. In particular, they have been widely used
for political activism and discussion; but whether the discussions are
constructive is another issue. Constructive political discussion requires
several preconditions; one of the most important requirements is rational
reasoning. Citizens must be equipped with some degree of political
knowledge and competency to provide reasonable arguments and
justifications in discussions. The primary objective of this paper is to examine
the level of political knowledge of Indonesian Facebookers regarding
corruption which is currently a serious issue in Indonesia. An online survey
was conducted among the most active users of an anti-corruption Facebook
group of Indonesians. The results of the study generally suggested that the
participants were well informed about the current affairs of their society
and showed a high level of political knowledge in terms of the Corruption
Eradication Commission and also the incumbent politicians; however, the
results indicated a low level of knowledge regarding laws and regulations
surrounding corruption as well as the issues related to the former politicians.