Social Media, Public Participation, and Digital Diplomacy

Abstract

Social media may have roles in improving government performance in digital diplomacy, roles which may be performed by government or non-government actors. The success of Indonesia's digital diplomacy may be achieved through public or community participation. This research put emphasis on public participation of the Indonesians in digital diplomacy through their uses of social media (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Youtube), Websites, and Applications made by the Government. This research uses documents as the main source of data. Research results show that Indonesians, both in Indonesia and abroad, especially through diaspora organizations, participate in promoting Indonesia, thus participating in digital diplomacy for the interests of Indonesia. The results also that high uses of internets by Indonesians (48% out of 270 millions) is an opportunity for further public participation in digital diplomacy, especially for public aspiration articulation, decision making, and communication involving stakeholders on public diplomacy. It is also an opportunity for publics and government to access data from other countries, to promote Indonesia to foreign countries. However, high uses of internet and social media by Indonesians can also be used by radicals to spread their ideas, for foreign actors to attack Indonesian domestic interests, to spread pornographic contents, and online frauds, both domestically or in international arenas.

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