TheJakartaPost
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Echo chamber and future democracy
There are growing concerns when healthy space fails to be established. In this age of information, the public has become less knowledgeable.
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The Facebook logo is displayed on an iPad in Philadelphia, US, May 16, 2012. (AP/Matt Rourke, File)
P
olitical mayhem ended almost three weeks ago. The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) has announced the newly elected Jakarta governor. Not too far from most pollsters’ prediction, the gap between the two candidates was around 18 percent with turnout of 77.1 percent.
After reaching the finish line, this is the moment to end all disputes. This is a time when we should roll back the debate, take down all political campaign material and prepare to face future challenges.
Polarized political attitudes that escalated from the elites to the grass roots should be directed toward reconciliation. The lesson from the Jakarta gubernatorial election has hopefully bee learned in regards to testing our commitment to coexisting with different ethnic and religious groups. It also serves as an indication of our maturity in managing democracy.
It was unavoidable that social media would play a pivotal role in the election. The expansion of social media should ideally be helpful in creating space for dialogue and to accommodate public engagement on social issues. Healthy discussion on social media not only encourages people to become involved but also helps people to be more conscious and tolerant of opposing opinions.
