Government works with Twitter to improve social media literacy

Social media are of course originally intended for good things and have many advantages if they are used wisely and appropriately. Unfortunately, a large number of users in Indonesia have yet to be reconciled with the level of good technology knowledge a

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology is partnering with Twitter to improve the social media literacy of students, teachers and educational professionals at the junior high school (SMP) level. “Of course, social media was originally intended for the good and has many advantages if it is used wisely and appropriately. Unfortunately, a large number of users in Indonesia have yet to be reconciled with the level of good technology and social media literacy. Currently, the digital skills index in Indonesia has only reached a medium level, ”said Minister for Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, here on Thursday.

He added that negative behaviors such as spreading hoaxes, bullying and gender-based harassment are popping up on social media.

“And what worries me is a lot of negative social media behaviors that involve students, either as actors or victims,” ​​Makarim said.

Hence, the minister said he had decided to work with Twitter to improve the younger generation’s digital literacy. To this end, an agreement has been signed between the acting Secretary General of the ministry, Ainun Na’im, and Twitter’s main representative for the Asia-Pacific region, Jakarta office, Agung Yudhawiranata.

“I hope that imparting social media skills to young generations will help to strengthen the character and shape the students with Pancasila profiles,” said Na’im after signing the cooperation agreement.

Related News: Ministry of Education Unveils International Student Mobility Scholarship Program

Related News: Department Establishes Online Sexual Harassment Reporting Mechanism

Training middle school students to use social media is a good step and is in line with the character formation of Pancasila students, he noted.

“Using social media wisely at a young age will shape a good character, especially in developing critical thinking, creativity, the ability to work together, (building) self-esteem, and (impressing) respect for others and empathy,” he emphasized .

Working with Twitter, a curriculum and learning module on social media literacy will be developed for students, teachers and educational professionals at the SMP level. In addition, SMP students, who represent the average age of newbies to social media users, will receive educational support related to social media literacy, he added.

Kemendikbudristek has commended the private sector for support and cooperation in promoting national education.

“We welcome this collaboration. Hopefully this will have positive effects for all educated citizens, ”he noted.

Meanwhile, Yudhawiranata admitted that social media literacy has become an issue in Indonesia. The age limit for users of Twitter and other social media platforms is 13 years, he noted.

“The main goal of Twitter is to facilitate public conversation. We are present to create a safe space where people can search for information, find different perspectives and brainstorm with others from around the world, ”he said.

Given the growing gap in social media literacy, which has become a challenge in Indonesia, as well as digital literacy, which is not yet part of the formal curriculum, he expressed hope that the collaboration between the ministry and Twitter would be Indonesian would help young people to find their way easily on digital platforms. (IN)

Related news: Papua prepares for the 2021 Pacific Exposition

Related news: NGOs played a role in reducing forest fires and deforestation: CIFOR

EDITED BY INE