UNS — Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Prof. Ahmad Yunus asked Indonesian people to be careful in responding to the digitalization trend because strict retention under the excuse of protecting local wisdom could bring counterproductive results without wise responses.
The Vice-Rector emphasized that the digitalization trend amid the Covid-19 pandemic is unavoidable development for the community because people will seek a quick, practical, and efficient way of life. Therefore digitalization will become a need, and with the support from modern technology, it will fasten the globalization process. This observation was shared by Prof. Ahmad Yunus as a speaker in the “Local Wisdom Value Existence in the Digital Transformation Process” webinar broadcasted through the MASTEL TV YouTube on Wednesday (6/10/2021).
“Information Technology has become one of the vital instruments for people to achieve their life objectives. Thus, affecting their actions and lifestyle,” he stated.
Prof. Ahmad Yunus stated that even though the digitalization trend is unavoidable, there are several concerns about the possibility of disturbing local wisdom and national unity. For example, the changes in perspectives, culture, traditions, and lifestyles of millennial society, cyberbullying, hate speech, hoaxes, and the spread of radicalism. These concerns could pose a serious threat if the community was not equipped with knowledge on digital literacy. He added that the concerns over digitalization have a negative impact on Indonesia, according to the report published by IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2020.
IMD World collected data on the country’s competitiveness power regarding the acceleration of digital transformation from 63 countries worldwide. The result of this survey placed Indonesia at 56th rank or on the bottom 10, indicating that Indonesia’s competitiveness index is still low. “This could turn into a threat; Indonesia will only act as a market and lose the opportunity to generate benefits due to the low digital technology,” Prof. Ahmad Yunus stated.
Maintaining the Local Wisdom
On the occasion, Prof. Ahmad Yunus also mentioned that the government needs to prepare a strategy to improve local wisdom immunity in facing the digitalization trend by taking the positive benefits of information technology advancement to develop national potential based on the local wisdom. He also reminded that local wisdom impact needs to be maintained in facing the digitalization trend.
Prof. Yunus explained that in the modern era, the key to master development is in a country’s capability in managing information technology. He does not want Indonesia to be controlled by superpower countries and demanded the Indonesian government to be watchful over the increasing cyber-attack.
“Digitalization needs to be treated with wisdom as positive results of modernization that push the community into advancement. Refusing globalization is not wise because it will hamper the development of science and technology,” he stated. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti