The digital divide is the biggest issue for us. During PJJ (remote learning) back in the post-pandemic era, half our class could log into Zoom with 5G, while the other half had to climb a hill to get a signal. We are taught gotong royong (mutual cooperation), but the system often forces competition. We are fighting to fix that gap by sharing kuota (internet data) with friends, which is the modern form of gotong royong . 2. "Baik, Benar, dan Baper" – Mental Health is No Longer Taboo The biggest cultural shift we are leading is the conversation about mental health . Our parents’ generation believes in "Ngalah, ngalih, ngaku" (giving in, moving on, confessing) or just "Sabtu bersihkan lingkungan" (Saturday clean the environment) to solve sadness. They say "Jangan baper" (don't take it to heart).
We worry that traditional arts like Wayang or Randai will die with our grandparents. So, we are trying to make it viral. If we can make Pancasila sound cool on a podcast, we will. 4. The Fear of "Ghosts" (Corruption and Apathy) Ask any anak SMA what they are afraid of. Spiders? No. Ujian ? Maybe. Corruption? Yes. video mesum anak sma sama om senang
But we know better. The pressure of UNBK (exams), Lomba OSN , and getting into PTN (state universities) is crushing. We are using social media to normalize curhat (venting) about anxiety. We are breaking the cultural norm that "Orang Indonesia tidak boleh depresi" (Indonesians shouldn't be depressed). We are telling teachers: "Maaf, Bu, saya capek mental, bukan malas." (Sorry, Ma'am, I'm mentally tired, not lazy.) The biggest fight at home is always about culture. Our parents want us to listen to dangdut koplo and speak Bahasa Jawa Krama (polite Javanese). We listen to K-Pop and speak bahasa Jaksel (Jakarta Selatan slang – mixing Indonesian and English). The digital divide is the biggest issue for us
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