Depok-The current rapid development of technology has made access to communication and information faster. Children to adults are also proof of the high level of spread of this technology. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) for 2021, the majority of children aged five years and over in Indonesia access the internet for social media, reaching 88.99%. This figure is the highest among other internet usage needs.
The next challenge from using social media is the increasingly massive spread of hoaxes. The Ministry of Communication and Informatics of the Republic of Indonesia noted that during the period August 2018 to early 2022, a total of 9,546 hoaxes had been spread on various social media platforms on the Internet. This certainly needs serious attention, not only from the government, but also from academia.
Seeing these conditions, the Public Relations (PR) study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI) held the PRESENT 2022 program as a form of community service at the Sakinah Orphanage, Depok, West Java, November 18, 2022. With the theme “Literacy in the Digital Era”, PRESENT 2022 presents interesting education on how to communicate, digital literacy, and games as learning media.
(Photo: Group photo of Public Relations study program with the Sakinah Depok Orphanage)
Head of the Public Relations Study Program, Mareta Maulidiyanti, S.Sos., M.M., hopes that this activity can provide motivation and new knowledge about how to convey messages and sort information in the digital era. “We share useful knowledge for the younger siblings of the Sakinah Orphanage to actively participate in the school environment and the community in sorting out information. We also hope that they can use the internet wisely and use it for productive things,” said Mareta.
One of the Public Relations study program students who is part of the community service team, Laily Nazwa, provided information on the basis of communication. “In this program, the orphans know that communication is not just talking or writing messages, but also requires gestures, expressions, gazes, appearances, and touches, to clarify the message to be conveyed,” said Laily. She also said that understanding other people’s feelings through communication would have a positive impact on children’s cognition, especially during the growth period. Children and teenagers can avoid conflict and behave according to the conditions that occur. It can also increase sympathy and empathy for the surrounding environment.
Furthermore, Pijar Suciati, S.Sos., M.Si., a lecturer at the Public Relations study program, provided guidance regarding digital literacy. She revealed that most of the participants turned out to be digitally proficient, such as searching search engines, and interacting in cyberspace by sharing and creating writing, videos, and pictures. “The times have made it easier for them to access information. However, the information circulating on the internet is not entirely correct. Fake news or hoaxes are often found on social media. It should be noted, before spreading information, the first thing that must be done is to check the truth of the information by looking at the source. Then, we can filter this information by prioritizing its needs or usefulness for others. If it is not useful, it should not be disseminated,” explained Pijar.
(Photo: Symbolic of donating to the Sakinah Depok Orphanage)
No less interesting, Ngurah Rangga Wisesa, M.I.Kom, who is also a lecturer in the Public Relations study program, discussed gamification, namely the process of making games into learning media. “Students usually have difficulty concentrating during teaching and learning activities. Games make students more active and critical in learning. Fun games make students feel challenged which has a direct impact on increasing learning motivation,” said Rangga.
After accepting and participating in various PRESENT 2022 programs organized by the UI Vocational Education Program Public Relations study program, it is hoped that the children of the Sakinah Orphanage will be wiser in using social media in today’s digital era.
