UNAIR NEWS – The increasing use of social media in today’s modern era gives direct impacts as it is found to be used as a political campaign tool. Moreover, for the social sector, the media is definitely owned by most people.

According to a lecturer of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Airlangga Rendi Pahrun Wadipalapa, M.A, it always brings impact as it is not followed with the wisdom from social media users. He said that when it is associated with political campaigns, social media just contains trash content.

“When media is expected as an independent public space, all political events are discussed with emotion and fanaticism of each group. It is exacerbated by the condition of abandoned common sense function, “said Rendi.

In a discussion initiated by East Java Election Commission, Institute for Strategic Information Studies Indonesia (LSISI) and Universitas Airlangga on Monday, February 26, Rendi added that the wildness of media, especially for the social media sphere also brings certain illusion.

“We all think there will be no pressure and coercion. We all think that everything is a fully independent individual, “said Rendi.

In fact, added Rendi, by using social media incorrectly gives impact on intellectual defeat and the act of choosing side. They present their opinion based on data but, strictly speaking, the goal has been tainted by a blind defense of one particular group. In addition, the irony that occurs from the above conditions, according to the young academic, everything is on the opposite side of the government.

“This country is already lit up great enough to extinguish the sharp opposition of words. But what happened? The fact remains that everything is still going on massively. Virtual garbage is also never stopped to be distributed. Yet this government effort is very clear. Defamation charge related to uploads on social media was already often done, “concluded Rendi.

Author: Nuri Hermawan