From Hashtags to Political Action: Digital Youth Movements and Democratic Participation in Contemporary Indonesia

Riko Saputra

doi:10.65815/81vcsr80

Authors

Riko Saputra Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65815/81vcsr80

Keywords:

Youth movements, digital activism, democracy, political participation, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesian youth increasingly engage with politics through digital platforms, where hashtags, online campaigns, petitions, and viral content can rapidly transform individual opinions into collective political action. This article examines the relationship between digital youth movements and democratic participation in contemporary Indonesia. Using qualitative digital ethnography and social movement analysis, the study investigates how young citizens identify political issues, construct collective narratives, mobilize supporters, and translate online engagement into offline action. The article argues that digital activism has expanded the repertoire of political participation beyond traditional party membership and formal organizations. Nevertheless, online visibility does not necessarily produce sustained political engagement, and digital movements may disappear rapidly after an issue loses public attention. The study proposes a continuum model connecting digital expression, network formation, collective mobilization, and institutional political participation. The article concludes that Indonesian youth movements demonstrate a transformation of democratic participation in which communication technologies function not merely as tools for political messaging but as infrastructures for collective political organization.

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