Illustration of today’s digital convenience (behance.net)

Campus ITS, Reviews – In the digital age which continues to grow rapidly, students play a key role in taking advantage of the opportunities and meeting the challenges posed by these changes. In this connected landscape, students have a great opportunity to succeed amid the changes and developments of this time.

Citing datareportal.com, the use of the Internet and digital technology has increased significantly through April 2023. In some sectors, such as Internet penetration, the use smart phones, and social media adoption, digital optimization numbers have seen impressive growth. It shows that the Internet has embraced and united many people and their cultures.

Overview of several aspects of digitization around the world (datareportal.com/)

At that time, the students were a generation digital natives has the advantage of understanding and quickly adopting new technologies. They are able to take advantage of digital advances to develop their skills, establish connections and access information more effectively. Remember that the Internet has changed the way people live, work and interact with each other today.

Additionally, students can become active agents of change by creating new innovations and solutions in this ever-changing digital world. They have the potential to change traditional business paradigms and create unprecedented new opportunities. The potential must therefore be exploited.

The role of students in digitalization is not only limited to the use of technology, but also includes the possibility of becoming agents of change in society. Students can play an active role in bridging the digital divide by initiating digital training programs for the surrounding community, no exceptions.

For example, a campaign #Me too which happened in 2017. This campaign has become one of the largest social movements in history with the aim of expressing and overcoming the problem of sexual harassment that occurs in various sections of society. Through social media, students and young people participate by sharing their personal experiences, providing support and advocating for change.

Thanks to their courage to speak out and support each other, the campaign #Me too succeeded in disrupting the social fabric, triggering cultural change and raising awareness of the issue of sexual harassment around the world. The role of students and young people in this campaign clearly shows how they can create the force needed to bring about meaningful social change.

Even though there are many good stories regarding the use of the internet in Indonesia, there are still great inequalities in its use in each region of Indonesia. This is corroborated by the results of The Economist’s Inclusive Internet Index 2020 survey conducted by Facebook, conducted in 100 countries, which shows that Indonesia is ranked 63rd overall in terms of Internet access.

Knowing this, students should be able to develop progressive solutions to overcome this problem. They can help increase internet accessibility in remote areas through various initiatives, such as building better internet infrastructure and providing digital training to local communities.

Working with government and the private sector, students can become powerful agents of change in creating a more digitally inclusive society. In this way, we can ensure that everyone in Indonesia has an equal opportunity to access and benefit from the potential offered by digitalization.

In addition, collaborating with startups local businesses will give them the opportunity to experience the world of digital business, while participation in digital training programs will strengthen their skills. Connecting with professionals and employers presents internship and work opportunities, while their digital portfolio showcases their abilities and potential to the world.

In concrete cases in Indonesia, students have the power to drive change and succeed in an ever-changing digital era. They can become a driving force in society by taking strong and courageous initiatives. “Just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done,” said Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Inc.

The phrase above can be interpreted as inspiring students in the digital age. So that they become bold innovators, explorers and leaders, and are able to prove that young people have the power to succeed in the midst of continuous change.

Written by:
Faadhillah Syhab Azzahra
Department of Statistics
Class of 2020