The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people, including Indonesians, to self-isolate and work from home for months. This has made them rely on the internet for entertainment and information to an even greater extent than before.

Digital platforms, such as social media, have become the only accessible mediums of safe, widespread communication. This dependence has become a point of interest for general observers and social researchers alike.

German cultural center Goethe-Institut Indonesien hosted a talk on Sep. 10 to discuss the impact of internet dependency on democracy. Called Bingkis (Thursday Discussion), the talk featured media and culture researcher Roy Thaniago.

Roy covered the topics of individual freedom and democracy in Indonesian social media through a philosophical lens. The talk was called “Isolated in Your Own Bubble” and was broadcast on Instagram Live.

Drawing upon German philosopher Jürgen Habermas’ concept of the “public sphere”, which he explained was “a place where citizens can get together and discuss matters without state and commercial intervention, non-hierarchal [and] equal”, Roy explored public discourse in the Indonesian context.

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