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In the age of TikTok, election debates are paramount
We do need a quality election where contenders can debate their policies and the public can make an informed decision on election day.
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Three presidential candidates, Anies Baswedan (right), Prabowo Subianto (center) and Ganjar Pranowo pose after the first presidential election debate at the General Elections Commission (KPU) office in Jakarta on Dec. 12, 2023. (AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba)
Democracy is seriously under threat in the age of techno-capitalism dominated by the attention economy of Big Tech. In a world where online engagement is king, any election could easily devolve into an arms race for clicks and likes.
Indonesia is not immune to this global trend. With 125 million TikTok users, the second largest user base in the world after the United States, we are currently witnessing how the latest sensation in digital technology is transforming our already-battered democracy, as political elites adapt to new ways of reaching out to the people to get votes.
While the change is not entirely bad, the general direction of it is quite alarming.
In the last few months, we have seen how elite reconfiguration coupled with the rise of TikTok as the main social media platform for campaigns is changing the tone of our electoral politics. It is, at least for now, no longer a race of who is more Islamic or more nationalist than the others. It is not as ideologically polarizing as it used to be.
On the surface, the election is less tense, with contenders competing to be the most relatable candidates to the predominantly young voters. If nearly a decade ago Prabowo was portrayed as the strict, assertive and no-nonsense populist leader who would take on the corrupt political establishment, he is now portrayed as the “gemoy” (adorable) “grandpa” who appears quite comfortable producing dance and cast videos.
The other contenders have adapted to this new trend as well, producing short videos to go viral in their attempt to get votes from TikTok-crazed electorate. While Ganjar Pranowo relies on the outdated “blusukan” (impromptu visit) strategy à la Jokowi, which proved effective in the age of Twitter 10 years ago, Anies Baswedan has been creative, producing a short video where he and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar are seen joking around about the many uses of the sarong.
Again, this is not entirely bad. We cannot afford to have an existential election every five years. The election should not be about the question of whether minorities have a place in Indonesia or whether Islam has a place in politics at all. I’m not saying that these issues do not matter. They do, but an in ideal world, all the basic questions about who we are as a nation should have been resolved a long time ago, and elections should be the time for a society to debate practical policies that would improve their life.
