The Digital Behavioral Patterns and Preferences of Millennials within Indonesia's Political Digital Landscape: A Case Study

Within a continuously evolving era, Indonesia's young generation, particularly high school students, is experiencing a significant transformation in their interaction with technology. As members of the millennial and Z generations, they have seamlessly integrated into the digital realm, with daily life inseparable from internet usage, social media, and other digital technologies. According to the Digital Report Indonesia (2023), Indonesia's totaL population is 276.4 million; around 212.9 million, or 77.0%, are internet users, and 167.0 million, or 60.4%, actively use social media. This fact carries significant positive and negative implications, especially in the context of the political year. On the one hand, widespread internet and social media access, with 212.9 million internet users and 167.0 million active social media users, offers considerable potential for fostering more inclusive and informed political engagement. Social media platforms serve as avenues for young people to engage in political dialogue, expand the reach of campaigns, and facilitate a more dynamic and direct exchange of ideas (Anshari, 2013; Ardha, 2014). The accessibility of information possibly increases political awareness among young people, enabling them to make more informed choices and engage actively in the democratic process. However, the high prevalence and reliance on digital media also bring significant challenges. The risk of spreading false information or hoaxes (Jatmiko, 2019; Sosiawan & Wibowo, 2020), polarization of opinions (Annas et al., 2019; Gustomy, 2020; Syarwi, 2022), and digital campaign manipulation (Arianto, 2017) have become particular concerns in political years. The rapid dissemination of information facilitated by social media amplifies accurate and misleading content, often lacking sufficient filtration or verification mechanisms (Vosoughi et al., 2018). These influences shape public opinion, especially among younger generations who may lack adequate media literacy skills to navigate political information complexities. Therefore, despite its considerable positive potential, young people, educators, and policymakers need to recognize and address these negative aspects of digital interaction, especially in the political context. Previous research on young people's digital preferences can be categorized into several key areas. First, some studies use social media and the internet to concentrate on youth behavior. Research conducted by Hack-Handa (2015) highlights generational differences in the use of social networking sites. It emphasizes that Internet users of different ages consider social networking sites important. Specific platforms are favored to different extents among distinct different age groups. Meanwhile, the study by Rathi et al. (2023) draws attention to the growing social media reliance among the younger generation, particularly in India. It emphasizes the need for interventions to address this addiction phenomenon. In addition, research conducted by Akkucuk & Turan (2016) in Turkey revealed millennials' widespread use of social media, emphasizing understanding the reasons for use and the platforms favored by this generation. Second, there is research that examines the impact of digital media on the psychological welfare of adolescents. Bruggeman's (2019) research highlights that excessive digital media consumption by children aged 9-12 can decrease their psychological well-being, particularly noting a more significant negative impact on intensive use. Twenge & Campbell (2019), as well as Twenge & Martin (2020), found that heavy digital media use indicates decreasing psychological well-being among adolescents, especially in adolescent girls, and increases the risk of factors such as depression and suicide. Meanwhile, Chia-Chen Yang (2021) and Vannucci & Ohannessian (2021) point out the need to consider different dimensions of social media use, given the differences in their impact on adolescent psychosocial well-being, with some patterns of use showing more adverse outcomes than others. While the research provides valuable insights, a significant research gap in the literature exists: an absence of studies specifically exploring the correlation between young people's digital preferences and their political literacy. It includes understanding how young people select and process political information in digital media and its implications for their political awareness and participation. More in-depth research is needed to understand digital media's role in shaping contemporary youth's political literacy. The main objective of this study is to fill a gap in our understanding of how the digital preferences of millennials, particularly high school students in Indonesia, interact with their political literacy. This study aims to analyze digital media consumption patterns among adolescents and explore how these patterns affect their comprehension and participation in political issues. This includes examining the types of content they access, the frequency and context of digital media use, and the impact of these exposures on their political awareness and critical behavior. Furthermore, the study aims to assess adolescents' digital literacy levels and proficiency in discerning and evaluating political information. Through these analyses, this research endeavors to provide deeper insights into the role of digital media in shaping political discourse among the younger generation and its contribution to developing a more informed and critically engaged society. Additionally, by identifying and understanding these behavioral patterns and preferences, the findings of this study hold significant potential implications for policymakers, political practitioners, and future research. Hence, policymakers can use these insights to develop targeted educational programs and policies that enhance youth's digital literacy and political engagement. Political practitioners may find the findings valuable for crafting more effective communication strategies to engage the millennial audience on digital platforms. Finally, this research aims to inspire future studies to delve deeper into the nuanced interactions between digital media consumption and political literacy, further enriching our understanding of millennials’ engagement in the digital political landscape.

This study used a combined approach of surveys and focus group discussion (FGD) to explore the use of digital media by high school students. The study participants consisted of one hundred and thirty students, including the Student Council President and the Head of IRMA (Mosque Youth Association) from thirty-nine schools at the High School level in Bandung Regency, West Java (Table 1), with purposive sample selection. Purposive sampling aligns with Creswell's (2015) recommendation, facilitating the selection of participants most likely to offer insights relevant to the study’s focus. The survey was conducted using questionnaires tested for validity and reliability, developed following Fowler’s guidelines (Fowler, 2009). In addition to the survey, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted to obtain deeper insights into students' attitudes and behaviors regarding digital media within the specific context of political information. Adhering to the methodology outlined by Krueger & Casey (2014), the FGDs involved small group discussions facilitated by qualified moderators. These discussions were focused explicitly on exploring millennials' personal experiences and interactions with social media and the internet as platforms for accessing, sharing, and discussing political content. Additionally, discussions delved into the perceived impacts of these digital interactions on the students' psychological well-being and social dynamics. This targeted approach in the FGDs allowed for the collection of rich qualitative data, which was then analyzed to identify common themes and patterns, particularly in relation to digital media's role in shaping political awareness and engagement among the participants. Table 1. Schools’ participants No Name of School Number of Respondent 1 SMA Cendikia Informatika 2 SMA Al-Hidayah 3 SMA Al-Masoem 4 SMA Banjar Asri Cimaung 5 SMA Bina Negara 1 Baleendah 6 SMA BPPI Baleendah 7 SMA Handayani 1 Pameungpeuk 8 SMA Handayani 2 Banjaran 9 SMA IT Nurul Wasilah 10 SMA Karya Budi 11 SMA KP 3 Paseh 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 No Name of School Number of Respondent 12 SMA Mardika Paseh 1 13 SMA Mathla'ul Anwar Margahayu 2 14 SMA Mekar Arum 1 15 SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Majalaya 1 16 SMAN 1 Majalaya 1 17 SMA Negeri 1 Ciparay 2 18 SMA Negeri 1 Kertasari 1 19 SMA Negeri 1 Rancaekek 2 20 SMA Negeri 2 Majalaya 3 21 SMA Pasundan Banjaran 1 22 SMA Pasundan Majalaya 1 23 SMA Pasundan Rancaekek 1 24 SMA PGRI Cicalengka 2 25 SMA Plus Tebar Ilmu 1 26 SMA Sapta Dharma Soreang 2 27 SMA Telkom Bandung 2 28 SMA Tunas Baru Ciparay 2 29 SMAK BPK Penabur 1 30 SMAN 1 Banjaran 2 31 SMAN 1 Bojongsoang 14 32 SMAN 1 Cicalengka 2 33 SMAN 1 Majalaya 1 34 SMAN 1 Margaasih 1 35 SMAN 1 Margahayu 2 36 SMAN 1 Nagreg 2 37 SMAN 1 Pangalengan 2 38 SMAN 1 Soreang 2 39 SMAN Cimanggung 2

Results The millennial generation is a young generation that lives during the millennial change, marked by the digitization of all aspects of life. Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000, so they can be categorized as young people aged around 23 to 43. Digitalization is very close to the millennial generation. It makes a personal digital space for millennials to access, obtain, and share all information they encounter online (Roringkon & Sarjito, 2021; Sari, 2019). The characteristics of respondents in this study consisted of millennials who were studying secondary education either from high school or MA in Bandung Regency. The number of schools participating in the study was thirty-nine. An in-depth analysis related to the millennial generation and the digital world will be discussed in this section. Comprehension of Digital Media and the Millennials Generation Digital media relatively bridge distances and facilitate connectivity through technology. It allows the users to interact with anyone easily. The digital era was born because of the progress of the times and is accompanied by technological sophistication. Technology is gradually providing changes in various aspects of life (Soebagio, 2020; Turnip & Siahaan, 2021). The millennial generation, which grew up with digital development, certainly has better skills and comprehension of digital media than the previous generation. According to the result in Figure 1, as many as 76.6% of millennial generation respondents know the components of digital media, including digital devices, social media, and digital content. This aligns with the understanding of digital media, which can refer to technical aspects of digital devices (e.g hard disks, laptops) and transmission aspects (e.g., networks for disseminating digital information and social media). It can also refer to its end product (digital content), such as digital video, digital audio, and others (Meilani, 2014). 80 70 60 Percentage (%) 50 40 30 20 10 0 Digital content, Social Media, and Politic Demonstration Social media, Movie, And Television broadcast Designation Gadget, Print media, and digital content Figure 1. The millennial generation’s digital media comprehension Millennial Generation’s Digital Content Preferences Content that can be accessed is characterized by considerable diversity. As illustrated in Figure 2, findings revealed that the most frequently accessed digital content is movies, text messages, and digital videos (94.8%). The figures show that online news, music, and radio content is notably infrequently accessed through digital media. These align with the research conducted by Juditha & Darmawan (2018), who mentioned similar things. Movies, text messages, and digital videos are the most frequently accessed digital content. Millennials consider political topics as mundane topics. However, respondents admitted to continue interested in political news that is widely accessed from online media and television. 100 90 80 Percentage (%) 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 News articles Movies, Text messages, and Digital videos Preferences Music and online radio Figure 2. The millennial generation’s digital content preference Although movies, text messages, and digital videos are commonly accessed by the millennial generation, accessing such content is for communication and information retrieval (87%). However, the remaining portion is attributed to entertainment and online games (Figure 3). Communication and information searches carried out by the millennial generation are frequently sourced from digital media, notably social media platforms. These platforms serve as an avenue to socialize online, allowing humans to interact without being limited by space and time (Kurniasih, 2019; Meilani, 2014). 100 90 80 70 Percentage (%) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Communication and information retrieval Entertainment Purpose Online Games Figure 3. The millennial generation’s digital content preferences Millennial Generation's Behavior in Social Media Currently, using social media platforms needs a lot of attention. The flow of information circulating seems to be uncontrollable. Given the way to digital access, content on social media is possibly disseminated without confirmation of the source of the content. Eventually, social media will also become a place for misinformation and hoaxes. Therefore, like most social media users today, the millennial generation needs knowledge and skills in processing digital information. Thus, it is called digital literacy. Digital literacy can simply be interpreted as the capability of digital media users to obtain, analyze, and communicate information effectively. Through digital literacy, citizens are expected not to consume and disseminate information necessarily but also to sort and select factual and reliable information (Ardiansyah & Yulianti, 2022). As many as 94% of respondents also concurred on the importance of verification processes to ensure the information disseminated is true and accurate. This reflects that the awareness of digital literacy of the millennial generation is very high (Figure 4). Figure 4. The millennial generation’s behavior in using social media Furthermore, 93.5% of respondents acknowledged that being wise on social media means careful thinking before sharing and treating people with respect on social media (Figure 5). They also concurred to block and report, if necessary, in response to malicious interactions on social media. Therefore, as users of digital devices, the millennial generation is compelled to attain literacy in the digital realm. Literacy incorporates comprehension, evaluation, and proficient engagement both as a producer and a consumer. Internet technology not only facilitates easier access for us to up-to-date information but also provides opportunities for us to be able to work (Fatmawati & Sholikin, 2019; Pradana, 2017; Sari, 2019). 100 90 80 Percentage (%) 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Thoughtful content sharing and respectful interaction Sharing real-life content Spreading hate on digital platforms Attitude Spreading information without verification Figure 5. The millennial generation’s behavior in using social media The Interconnection of Millennial and State Affairs The millennial generation, aged 23-43, is one of the components of citizens who will be part of Indonesia's demographic bonus. The demographic bonus occurs when the population structure with productive ages (15-64 years) exceeds the non-productive age (infants and the elderly). This brings fresh air to Indonesia. Economically and politically, the millennial generation will greatly contribute (Falikhah, 2017). Despite political engagement among the millennial generation tends to be low, especially in becoming a member or an active supporter of political parties, they participate in real rallies supporting/rejecting government policies and contacting governments/ politicians/officials to fight for citizens’ affairs. However, most millennials will still vote in the election (Meilani, 2014). 70 60 Percentage (%) 50 40 30 20 10 0 Young generation with sophisticated technology Young generation as the next custodian Young generation who is financially adequate Reasons Young Generation who has spare time Figure 6. The interconnection of millennial and state affair The survey findings expose citizens’ high awareness of the millennial generation. 58.4% of respondents believe the younger generation is the custodian of the state’s continuity (Figure 6). Hence, it highlights the pivotal role of their political engagement in shaping the state’s future. Political parties can also take a role in encouraging millennial generation participation as much as 88.3% for the benefit of the nation. Consequently, millennials' proficiency in using digital media is needed to support all interests of the Indonesian state.

The findings of this study highlight the importance of digital literacy in shaping informed and critical political participation among millennials. Compared to previous generations, millennials who grew up with the development of digital technology have different ways of accessing, processing, and interacting with political information. Moreover, identifying and assessing accurate information versus misinformation is essential in this era of often confusing information. This study provides strong evidence that digital literacy affects how individuals participate in online political activities and contribute to society's broader political discourse. This study significantly enhances comprehension of how young people interact with digital media, particularly in the context of political literacy. Through analysis of digital media consumption patterns among adolescents, the study reveals how exposure to digital media affects their political awareness and critical behavior. The research also helps identify factors that influence adolescents' digital literacy levels and their impact on their ability to identify and assess political information. Hence, the study provides important insights into the role of digital media in shaping political discourse among the younger generation. Although it provides valuable insights, the study has some limitations. First, the study sample was limited to a group of high school students in Indonesia who may not fully represent all youth groups. Second, this study focuses more on quantitative aspects and explores less qualitative aspects of the interaction of young people with digital media. Finally, this study focuses more on digital literacy and politics, so it may not cover all aspects of digital media use by the younger generation. Therefore, more research is needed to overcome these limitations and to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between young people and digital media.