STUDENT PERCEPTION TOWARD ‘RELIGIOUS VALUE FANATICISM’ IN SOCIAL MEDIA DURING INDONESIA’S PRE-CAMPAIGN PERIOD OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2019

Abstract

Fanatic defined as an adjective to describe action characterized by an excessive enthusiasm and often marked by intense fidelity. Although fanaticism is not always negative, fanaticism generally accused as the cause of bad things that arises because of an excessive enthusiasm, that remove someone rationality. Fanaticism toward politics and religion is the most common kind of fanatic we often met. With the existence of social media, fanaticisms toward religious value become easier to spread in Indonesia, especially before the election 2019 period. In the upcoming Presidential election 2019, all president candidates only have sixth month period of campaign started from end of September 2018 until first week of April. However, long before the campaign period started, the social media already filled up with explicit or implicit campaign from each candidate’s supporters.

This research aims to: 1) Describe fanaticism toward religious value that posted in social media six month before presidential election 2019 campaign Indonesia started since April to October 2019 and; 2) Describe the perception of student toward religious value that posted in social media. This research uses descriptive qualitative method. Secondary data collected from social media in Indonesia on April to early September 2019. While primary data collected through Focus Group Discussion with two group of student of UPN “Veteran” Yogyakarta. Each group consists of 25-selected student who will elect president for the first time in their life.

Result from the research shows: 1) There are many posts in social media related to fanaticism toward religious value linked to presidential candidacy during six-month period of pre-campaign. Characteristic of fanatics’ could be seen from the traits such as denying the facts, avoiding critical thinking that based on facts, and considering the opponent as rival with bad attitude that has to be overthrown. These could be seen from the posts in social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram related to issues such as National Polices Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) Riot in April, Suicide bombing in Surabaya church in May, and the registration of president and vice president candidacy in July until September 2019.; 2) Most of students are avid social media user with average 7 hour per day to access social media. All of the student admit that they often saw posts that could categorized as fanatic toward religious value in social media during pre –campaign period. Most of students perceive that these kinds of post are irrational because it is fragmenting and pitting the society against each other. Some of them realize that those kinds of posts were intentionally set to drop certain political group. While some student did not care at all, some are understand that this kind of phenomenon could happen because majority of Indonesian is religious. Most of student feels distracted and disturbed by fanatic toward religious value posting related to presidential election because it will affect the nationhood and nationalism, because they perceive that Indonesia is a diverse nation with various citizen’s background. While others says that fanatic toward religious value is free to posts in social media as long as it did not disturb or forcing other people to have the same idea or believes, and it will not affect their decision in selecting the president candidate in 2019