Indonesia, in the major shift of digital culture transformation
I was joining the discussion
series held by the Indonesian Student Association of QUT on Saturday 19th
March 2016 and saw couple of Indonesian advertising (ads) presented by one of
the speaker. The topic for the
discussion was Digital Culture. The presenters were two senior researchers from
a university in Queensland, Australia. One of them was describing their studies
about the participatory media, and another speaker presented her study about
Indonesian digital cultures. The speaker highlighted how the commercial television
ads have influenced every day’s life of Indonesian step in to digital culture. But,
instead of seeing their influences, for me personally I feel so amazed to see
how massive and variety of television ads in the country. I don’t say that I
haven’t seen them but seeing them here brought by foreigners than I began to
start that feeling.
Most Indonesian who lives in the
country might not put so much attention to it. Because it’s part of local’s
day-to-day life. Television has become one of basic need for most people, and
once you turn your television on then you are expecting you’ll see the ads in
every 20 minutes no matter tv channels you watch.
Indonesia is one of the
high-populated countries in the world. The growth of middle class has risen in
the last ten years. This is an opportunity for the industrial world in
Indonesia (and for some countries) to start doing their business in Indonesia.
Knowing that television is one of the media consumed everyday and most of the
time by locals, making it a promising way for the industry promoting their
products. You can believe that your ads will be watched by millions of people
throughout the country. This also has racing up every industry to start
creating their online commercial ads and get promoted through television.
The speaker showed several ads
from one particular commercial industry during her presentation that she
believed it is the most popular and the advertised product. They are come from telecommunication
industry that highly promoting their product, for example simPATI, or IM3
Internet 24 Jam. The speaker also mentioned her attention about how the ads
producer chosen Agnes Monica or Sule as the main ‘movie star’ promoting the
products. Both of the celebrities in that ads clearly representing two
different sections. Agnes Monica seen as targeting young, energetic groups,
where Sule who known as a comedian seemed to targeting middle to low class,
which sitting in as the major population in Indonesia.
Promoting products through
television ads might not be new things that happen in Indonesia. It’s been
started since about 20 years a go when the government opened the door for
private television companies to have their own programs. But looking at the
products that highly advertised is become another story. Related to the main
topic presented by the speaker, the digital culture, where there is a big shift
of the way people communicating (using a handphone particularly), it’s not
surprising to see how people in Indonesia engage with their mobile phone. There
are two major reasons this could possibly happen. First, getting a handphone is
become easier and easier for people regarding on their economic background. You
can get a new phone for almost AU$20. Most people don’t mind to get a second
hand mobile phone if they see it as the latest version of what they currently
have. Second, the competition of telecommunication providers offering their low
cost (some providers offering a free phone starter pack!) telephoning and
texting has lessened the barriers for even those who are living in remote areas.
Third, the growth of social
medias that is accessible through mobile phone. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube
are samples of social media sites that are popular among Indonesians. There are
number of studies that have shown that the majority of twitter users are coming
from Indonesia, China, and India. People shares what they thought, what they do
through text and pictures. They are now not only passive readers of breaking
news, but they are able to freely putting their comments up for every news they
read. The event that was certainly not be possible during the old regime in the
country, the ability to express their opinion, more specifically the freedom of
speech.
The growing number of citizens
engaging with social media has transforming the behavior of passive readers
into active and participatory readers. People become more and more aware of
what is happening around the globe base on their interest. This phenomenon
should have risen positive impacts for the society, to become a digital
literate society where they should have known how to use information ethically
and to read information critically.
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