Unlocking Digital Literacy in Indonesia: Insights from the Use of Social Media Platforms

Safitri Yosita Ratri, University of South Australia, Australia; Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Lina Aviyanti, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia

Abstract


The use of social media platforms has become increasingly integrated into students' everyday lives as technology advances, particularly with the rise of remote learning and digital connectivity. Despite these rapid adoptions, digital literacy challenges remain, including finding, evaluating, utilising, sharing, and creating content responsibly. This study examines how social media platforms shape students' minds and underscore the importance of digital literacy skills as a result of their experiences and perceptions of these platforms. Using a qualitative research approach, the study conducted a systematic review of data collected from students in Indonesia. The data were then analyzed and integrated to identify patterns, trends, and common themes across the literature. The analysis revealed several themes, including popular features of social media, learning advantages, the role of adults, and the importance of safe social media use. The findings highlight the critical role of digital literacy in enabling students to navigate social media platforms effectively. This study provides valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and parents on adopting and implementing social media platforms while fostering appropriate digital literacy skills among students.


Keywords


digital literacy; social media; students

Full Text:

FULLTEXT PDF

References


Acosta, E., Delgado, N., Stockberger, T., Korang, T., Garvin, L., & Cifuentes, L. (2024). Transformation or indoctrination through critical pedagogy: Strategic planning, digital literacy, and technology infusion in K-12. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 13(2), 267-271. http://dx.doi.org/10.59668/1269.15654

Alakrash, H. M., & Abdul Razak, N. (2021). Technology-based language learning: Investigation of digital technology and digital literacy. Sustainability, 13(21), 12304. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su132112304

Alismaiel, O., Cifuentes‐Faura, J., & Al-Rahmi, W. (2022). Online learning, mobile learning, and social media technologies: An empirical study on constructivism theory during the covid-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 14(18), 11134. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811134

Asmayawati, A. (2023). Can technology initiate the enhancement of digital literacy in early childhood? Evidence from Indonesia. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 06(11). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/v6-i11-25

Asmayawati, A. (2023). Parental involvement in mattering early childhood digital literacy: The role of balanced screen time and access to technology evidence from Indonesia. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Analysis, 06(11). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmra/v6-i11-30

Bahri, A., Arifin, A., Jamaluddin, A., Muharni, A., & Hidayat, W. (2023). Smart teaching based on lesson study promoting student’s digital literacy in the rural area. European Journal of Educational Research, volume-12-2023(volume-12-issue-2-april-2023), 901- 911. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.12.2.901

Boahene, K., et al. (2019). Social media usage and tertiary students’ academic performance. Sustainability, 11(8). doi:10.3390/su11082431

Cahyani, I. P. (2019). Digital literacy of lecturers as WhatsApp group users in spreading hoax informations and hate speech. Expose: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 2(2), 147. http://dx.doi.org/10.33021/exp.v2i2.562

Chen, M. and Xiao, X. (2022). The effect of social media on the development of students’ affective variables. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1010766

Diepeveen, S. and Pinet, M. (2022). User perspectives on digital literacy as a response to misinformation. Development Policy Review, 40(S2). https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12671

Fardiah, D., Darmawan, F., Rinawati, R., Cholifah, Y. W., & Abdullah, S. I. (2023). instagram content impact on digital literacy capability. Jurnal Aspikom, 8(1), 79- 94. https://doi.org/10.36418/devotion.v4i3.445

Genoveva, G. (2022). TikTok platform opportunity: How does it influence smes brand awareness among generation z? Sriwijaya International Journal of Dynamic Economics and Business, 273- 282. https://doi.org/10.29259/sijdeb.v5i3.273-282

Ghouali, W., & Benmoussat, A. (2019). Investigating the effect of social media on EFL students’ written production. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3400418

Gilster, P. (1997). Digital literacy. Wiley.

Greenhow, C., Galvin, S., Brandon, D., & Askari, E. (2020). A decade of research on k–12 teaching and teacher learning with social media: Insights on the state of the field. Teachers College Record, 122(6), 1-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146812012200602

Gruzd, A., Haythornthwaite, C., Paulin, D., Gilbert, S., & Del Valle, M. E. (2018). Uses and gratifications factors for social media use in teaching: Instructors’ perspectives. New Media & Society, 20(2), 475-494. https://doi.org/10.32920/14639559.v1

Hammadi, M. and Noor, M. (2023). Social media use and its relationship with collaborative learning and students’ motivation in Abu Dhabi schools United Arab Emirates. European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 9(1), 122-132. https://doi.org/10.2478/ejis-2023-0010

Harnum, R., & Pinariya, J. M. (2023). The effect of parents digital literacy on sharenting practices and children’s privacy on Instagram. Communicare: Journal of Communication Studies, 10(1), 13- 21. https://doi.org/10.37535/101010120232

Hermita, M., Hermana, B., Harmanto, S., Suhendra, A., & Pasaribu, M. (2023). Social media engagement and student’s intention in Indonesian higher education using unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Matrik Jurnal Manajemen Teknik Informatika dan Rekayasa Komputer, 22(3), 605-614. https://doi.org/10.30812/matrik.v22i3.3019

Hidayat, F. P., & Ginting, R. (2020). Media literacy of communication students in using Facebook. Ettisal: Journal of Communication, 5(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.21111/ejoc.v5i1.3947

Isabella, I., Alfitri, A., Saptawan, A., Nengyanti, N., & Baharuddin, T. (2024). Empowering digital citizenship in Indonesia: Navigating urgent digital literacy challenges for effective digital governance. Journal of Governance and Public Policy, 11(2), 142- 155. https://doi.org/10.18196/jgpp.v11i2.19258

Isnah, E., Suyatno, S., & Subandiyah, H. (2022). The effect of digital literacy on language ability in higher education: Experience from a developing country. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 22(11). https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v22i11.5425

Jacobsen, W. C., & Forste, R. (2011). The wired generation: Academic and social outcomes of electronic media use among university students. Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking, 14(5), 275-280. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2010.0135

Jımola, F. (2023). Undergraduate students’ exploration of Instagram and TikTok in learning language skills contents: A leverage to digital literacy. Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research, 5, 84-95. https://doi.org/10.38140/ijer-2023.vol5.08

Kailani, R., Susilana, R., & Rusman, R. (2021). Digital literacy curriculum in elementary school. Teknodika, 19(2), 90-102.https://doi.org/10.20961/teknodika.v19i2.51784

Kurniawan, Y., Santoso, S., Wibowo, R., Anwar, N., Bhutkar, G., & Halim, E. (2023). Analysis of higher education students’ awareness in indonesia on personal data security in social media. Sustainability, 15(4), 3814. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043814

Kusumandaru, A. D., & Rahmawati, F. P. (2022). Implementation of social media application Tik Tok as a media to strengthen literary literacy in thematic learning at primary school. Jurnal Basicedu, 6(3), 4876–4886. http://dx.doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v6i3.2972

Lailiyah, M., & Putra, S. P. (2022). Integrating the use of social media for group collaboration in ESP classroom. Engl. Teach. JJ Engl. Lit. Lang. Educ, 10, 60- 66. https://doi.org/10.25273/etj.v10i1.11716

Latif, A., Zambri, W., Latiff, D., & Kamal, S. (2023). Media literacy and digital citizenship in the era of social media. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(11). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i11/19392

Lee, J. and Hidayat, D. (2019). Digital technology for Indonesia’s young people. Medienpädagogik Zeitschrift Für Theorie Und Praxis Der Medienbildung, 35, 20- 35. https://doi.org/10.21240/mpaed/35/2019.10.17.x

Ling, S., Chan, M., Engkamat, A., Ling, S., & Liew, C. (2019). Functionality of social media for blended learning courses at higher education institution. Destech Transactions on Economics Business and Management. https://doi.org/10.12783/dtem/emba2019/29332

Liu, Y. (2013). Digital literacy: A new approach to learning. Journal of Educational Technology, 10(3), 45-60. https://dx.doi.org/10.19030/jier.v13i1.9907

Mardiani, E., Mokodenseho, S., Matiala, T., Limbalo, S., & Mokodompit, N. (2024). Implementation of digital science and literacy teaching in developing science literacy in middle school students in Indonesia. The Eastasouth Journal of Learning and Educations, 2(01), 63- 74. https://doi.org/10.58812/esle.v2i01.228

Mensah, I., & Nizam, I. (2016). The impact of social media on students’ academic performance. International Journal of Education Learning & Training, 1(1), 14-21. https://doi.org/10.24924/ijelt/2016.11/v1.iss1/14.21

Murtafi, A., et al. (2019). Understanding digital literacy: A comprehensive framework. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 10(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.12973/ijem.7.1.15

Nafisah, A., Ahmed, N., Balamurugan, T., Gimka, K., & Wijaya, L. (2024). The effect of social media on students' school life in Indonesia. Acta Pedagogia Asiana, 3(2), 80- 90. https://doi.org/10.53623/apga.v3i2.426

Nam, S. and Hwang, H. (2021). Consumers’ participation in information-related activities on social media. Plos One, 16(4), e0250248. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250248

Putra, D. and Rullyanti, M. (2023). The importance of digital literacy in improving students' skills in english. Journal of Dehasen Educational Review, 4(3), 201- 206. https://doi.org/10.33258/joder.v4i3.4519

Putri, M. D., Istiyanto, S., Zakiah, L., & Hafni, R. (2021). Transformation of health communication literacy in the pandemic era. Informasi, 51(1), 93- 110. https://doi.org/10.21831/informasi.v51i1.38290

Purnama, S., Ulfah, M., Machali, I., Wibowo, A., & Narmaditya, B. (2021). Does digital literacy influence students’ online risk? evidence from covid-19. Heliyon, 7(6), e07406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07406

Purwanto, A. J., Samboteng, L., Kasmad, M. R., & Basit, M. (2023). Global trends and policy strategies and their implications for the sustainable development of MOOCs in Indonesia. In Fourth International Conference on Administrative Science (ICAS 2022)(pp. 491-508). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-104-3_47

Rahayu, D. (2023). Analysis of the influence of social media on the educational development of the youth. Enigma in Education, 1(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.61996/edu.v1i1.1

Rizki, A., &Timur, F. (2021). Security threats of radicalism through social media amid COVID-19 pandemic: Indonesia’s perspective. Connections the Quarterly Journal, 20(3-4), 95- 106. https://doi.org/10.11610/connections.20.3-4.05

Sandanayake, T. (2021). Enhancing students’ performances by integrating social media in undergraduate learning. International Journal of Learning Teaching and Educational Research, 20(4), 43-60. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.4.3

Saripudin, D., Ratmaningsih, N., & Anggraini, D. N. (2023). The development of podcast based learning media on social studies to improve students’ digital literacy. The New Educational Review, 71, 35-49. https://doi.org/10.15804/tner.23.71.1.03

Saifuddin, M. F., & Putra, L. D. (2024). Digital literacy in elementary school: A systematic literature review. Gagasan Pendidikan Indonesia, 5(2), 86-99. https://doi.org/10.55927/ajcs.v2i7.4941

Talib, S. (2018). Social media pedagogy: Applying an interdisciplinary approach to teach multimodal critical digital literacy. E-learning and digital media, 15(2), 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753018756904

Wahyuni, S., Novitasari, Y., Suharni, S., & Reswita, R. (2023). The effect of digital literacy-based learning on student motivation and socialization ability. Consilium: Berkala Kajian Konseling Dan Ilmu Keagamaan, 9(2), 88-98. https:/doi.org/10.37064/consilium.v9i2.13454

Yusuf, F. (2024). Information technology readiness and acceptance model for social media adoption in blended learning: A case study in higher education institutions in West Java, Indonesia. Journal of Applied Data Sciences, 5(2), 382-402. https://doi.org/10.47738/jads.v5i2.195

Zabidi, N. and Wang, W. (2021). The use of social media platforms as a collaborative supporting tool: A preliminary assessment. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 15(06), 138. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v15i06.20619

Zhu, S., Yang, H., Wu, D., & Chen, F. (2021). Investigating the relationship between information literacy and social media competence among university students. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59(7), 1425-1449. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633121997360




DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v13i1.83433

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Jurnal Prima Edukasia

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Jurnal Prima Edukasia indexed by:

All rights reserved p-ISSN: 2338-4743 |e-ISSN: 2460-9927

Creative Commons LicenseJurnal Prima Edukasia by http://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/jpe/index is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
View Prima Edukasia Journal Stats