UNAIR NEWS – Technological advancement has made an extraordinary impact. The “online beggars” phenomenon on social media platform TikTok is currently on the rise. Content creators carry out these activities by exploiting themselves and others to get prizes.
The internet begging activities vary, from taking a mud bath, and soaking in dirty water, to pouring yourself in cold water for hours. Quite often, the object of exploitation is elderly. Not a few gave donations, but many also criticized it.
Looking at this phenomenon, to UNAIR NEWS on January 18, 2023, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) sociologist, Prof Dr Bagong Suyanto Drs MSi gave his responses. According to him, what they do online is nothing different than asking for the mercy of others to get something.
“It is a form of creativity in an increasingly competitive situation. So begging is not easy, there is more and more competition. So they need to be creative to get the mercy of people to give charity,” he explained.
Sociologist from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), Prof Dr Bagong Suyanto Drs MSi . (Photo: Public Relations UNAIR)
Besides that, Prof. Bagong also highlighted the phenomenon of pleasure that arises from seeing people suffer. On this platform, the public will give more if the beggar is “tormented” more, such as by pouring more water and soaking longer.
For this phenomenon, he criticized content creators who exploit their parents. According to him, many young people will play a role behind the camera, especially in operating social media.
“They must be apprehended. This is in the category of people who are not cornered but instead they exploit the suffering of powerless people to enrich themselves,” said the Dean of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP).
Regarding this phenomenon, the government must be able to carry out a “discourse war”. The reason is “Online Beggars” cannot be prosecuted like beggars with the help of the Social Service or Satpol PP. Prof. Bagong emphasized that let the public judge this by not donating or not watching the content.
In the end, the Professor of Economic Sociology advised the government and society to act fairly and not stereotype the poor. This is because there are also many poor people who need help, so they are forced to beg. Severe repression should be carried out against people who exploit the poor for personal wealth.
“This has to be sorted out, and we can’t judge everything is wrong; it has to be seen who did it because he needs to live, it doesn’t matter. This is the same as a celebrity who open donations, right? Why the poor are criticized when the celebrity isn’t?” he concluded. (*)
Author: Afrizal Naufal Ghani
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
