Commodification of Young People in Political Space

In every election, young people are always the target of the contestants' votes. It's just that, not many policies are in favor of the younger generation. The younger generation needs to be seen as a political subject.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.

KOMPAS/NINO CITRA ANUGRAHANTO

General Chairman of the Democratic Party Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (right) sang after meeting with young people in Surakarta, Central Java, on Wednesday (5/4/2023). On that occasion, he absorbed various concerns of young people nowadays.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Citizens aged 40 and below have a dominant voting percentage in the 2024 election. These young voters come from the Z generation and millennial generation, totaling 115.6 million people or 56 percent of the total voters.

The results of a survey by Kompas, May 2023, the projected participation of young voters in the next general election is also quite large. As many as 77.9 percent of respondents from the young millennial generation (25-33 years) stated that they would vote for presidential candidates, parties, and candidates for legislative members (caleg) in the 2024 elections. Meanwhile, from the middle millennial generation (34-41 years) 73.1 percent and generation Z (less than 25 years) of 67.8 percent.

The enthusiasm of young voters is not only in numbers, but also related to their awareness to make elections a momentum to show their political aspirations. According to human rights activist, Nisrina Nadhifah Rahman, most young people have sufficient literacy in understanding politics.

"The political turmoil during each election, with elites and political parties espousing relatively similar issues, and monotonous communication methods, have only made young people more critical. They also feel like subordinates and are only treated as campaign targets," said Nisrina in Jakarta on Thursday (June 22, 2023)."

Not surprisingly, since the beginning of this year the General Elections Commission (KPU) has launched a campaign to encourage the participation of young voters. Political parties and legislative candidates have been actively developing strategies and campaigning to gain votes from the younger generation. Meanwhile political consultants and analysts have long ago reminded political parties to focus on this "battlefield".

KOMPAS/IQBAL BASYARI

The atmosphere of a discussion titled "The Participation of Youth in Monitoring the 2024 Elections and Simultaneous Elections" in Jakarta (8/12/2022).

They carry the slogan "youth" and actively increase content on social media. It is said that the voice and role of young people can bring change and new ideas to the country. However, attention to this younger generation usually stops after the elections are over.

This can be seen from the government's policies that have been implemented in several programs so far. The programs with the taglines of Gen Z or millennials, such as the millennial farmer program, millennial housing program, and millennial entrepreneurship program, have not fully addressed the problems faced by the younger generation.

The Labor Market Indicator Data in Indonesia from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in February 2023 shows that out of every 100 unemployed individuals, 44 are young people (aged 15-24). This age group also holds the highest percentage of open unemployment rates (TPT) at 34.4 percent. The calculation of TPT excludes individuals who are still attending school and those who are taking care of households.

Similarly, in the field of advanced education and vocational education, progress is still sluggish. The BPS Education 2022 data shows that 73.07 percent of the population aged 19-24 who did not continue their higher education. When compared to employment data, the highest number of unemployed youth are those who only have education up to high school or its equivalent. Ironically, this is the younger generation that is referred to as the potential source of superior human resources for 2045.

KOMPAS/DUDY SUDIBYO

The school marching band participated in the parade for Youth Pledge Day (27/10/1978). The young generation has played a important role in the milestones of the nation's history, such as when they made a national commitment through the Youth Pledge in 1928.

Also read: Young People Face the Narrow Space for Politics

Youth romanticism

"There is a void in the identity of young people because they are still seen as a single entity that the digital native generation associates with an urban lifestyle," said Nisrina. In fact, there are young people from indigenous peoples, rural youth, young victims violence, or young people are left behind. The government and political elites are still biased in defining the younger generation so that their policies are not on target.

This can be traced from the regulation regarding the inconsistency of the definition of "youth". Referring to the Law Number 40 of 2009 about Youth, youth are Indonesian citizens aged 16-30 years old. That age range is different when compared to the Employment Law, the age reference for the workforce according to BPS, Law Number 7 of 2017 about General Elections, and so on.

On the one hand, this inconsistency causes terms such as "kaum muda" (young people), "generasi muda" (youth generation), and so on to be used excessively. In political narratives, the term "pemuda" (youth) is also romanticized by repeatedly referencing events such as Rengasdengklok in August 1945, the 1965/1966 revolution movement, and the 1998 reform movement.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo attended as a speaker at the Youth On Top National Conference (YOTNC) 2023 event held at Kota Kasablanka shopping center in Jakarta (15/7/2023). Ganjar appreciated the younger generation who have successfully driven the Indonesian economy through various innovations.

On the other hand, the confusion in the definition of youth has ultimately influenced perceptions of the solidity of this generation. They are seen as brave on social media, but tend to be weak when faced with issues in the field. However, recently many issues have been raised from social media issues.

According to Nisrina, the youth's romanticism continues to emerge because currently there is no single and complete grand narrative to move young people. For example, during the demonstration of "Reform is Corrupted" or the rejection of the omnibus law, there are still many young people who choose to be busy working and do not care about this issue. "After all, there are young politicians who don't seem to be taking sides with their generation," he said.

The younger generation is actually in a dilemma, torn between being constantly demanded to care for the state of the country and fulfill their social and living needs. The romanticism of youth movements needs to be seen in the context of the times. Excessive narrative from the elites actually makes the younger generation become apathetic and weary of the political world.

Also read: Young People Need the Partisanship of the Political Elite

Becomes the subject

Director General of Politics and Public Administration at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bahtiar, acknowledged that the government's steps regarding politics among young people still focus more on participation than substance. "Regarding young people, there are basic needs such as education, health, and the economy that the government has not been able to provide maximally," said Bahtiar in Jakarta on Monday (26/6/2023).

Not yet in the political realm. According to him, the current regulations are not yet able to facilitate young people to actively participate in practical political space. This is what causes young people to be systematically separated from political involvement, especially political parties.

The General Chairman of the Central Board of the Islamic Student Association (HMI), Raihan Ariatama, observed that young people are still limited to discussing politics, but their interest in getting involved is not yet significant. "Although they are not yet interested, young people should not only be seen as objects of politics, but also as subjects of politics," said Raihan in Jakarta on Wednesday (21/6/2023).

By placing them as the subject, young people are encouraged to be involved and given a broader space. Therefore, the involvement of young people is not only considered to gain votes. (KOMPAS RESEARCH)

Also read: Poll of "Kompas": Strengthening Political Party Institutions