Fire in the Feed: Outsmarting Chaos in Indonesia’s Post-Truth Era
One of the tragic things about being Indonesian today is how accustomed we’ve become to being gaslit by our own government.
When protesters are framed as rioters, we’re made to second-guess our anger. State violence is presented as discipline, but really, it’s a warning: challenge the official narrative, and you’ll pay the price. Over time, it becomes easy to lose sight of “what’s real” versus “what’s just,” because the cost of holding on to truth feels unbearable.
Worse still, even when we recognize the lies, propaganda, and recycled counter-narratives, we’re still caught in their chokehold. Our feeds are flooded with contradictory takes, designed to overwhelm us. Comment sections turn into battlefields. Deepfakes provoke endless debates. Algorithms reward rage, not reason.
In this post-truth ecosystem, the challenge isn’t only about knowing the facts. It’s about keeping the fire of resistance alive without letting it drown in digital chaos. Every click, share, and post can either build solidarity—or scatter sparks into nothing.
So how do we keep our footing? How do we fight smart, keep the fire burning, and avoid being derailed?
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1. Nurture solidarity
We’ve all seen it: people tearing each other down in long threads, questioning legitimacy, nitpicking who’s “pure enough” to belong in the movement. There’s a fine line between healthy critique and a cycle of self-sabotage.
The reminder here is simple: know which voices sharpen the blade, and which ones cut us apart. This is not the time to burn energy fighting among ourselves.
History has shown us how division makes us vulnerable. We lived through ideological splits during the anti-communist purge, ethnic fractures during Reformasi in 1998, and religious polarization during Jakarta’s 2017 gubernatorial election. Each divide weakened collective power.
We don’t need a repeat of that dark history. This time, we hold fast to each other. Solidarity is not just a slogan—it is our sharpest weapon.
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2. Embrace the art of archiving
Social media users often remind each other: “Save this video,” “Archive before it’s gone.” Why? Because archiving is a shield against erasure.
Every photo from a protest, every video recorded on the streets, is a line of defense against attempts to discredit or minimize the movement. Documentation says: “We were here. We witnessed this. You cannot rewrite or distort the truth.”
Archiving is not just about memory—it fuels future resistance. Receipts keep our stories alive, undeniable, and accessible for the next generation. They offer proof of struggle that no censorship can erase.
So, repeat it loud: archive relentlessly! Past, present, future—the struggle belongs to us.
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3. Submerge in creative subversion
Here comes the fun part: Let our glorious memes take the spotlight!
Facts alone often get drowned, scrolled past, or ignored. But memes, graffiti, parody accounts, and satire cut through the noise. Humor translates complex truths into sharable, digestible content.
The state may control media, spin narratives, or block platforms, but memes thrive. They are a guerrilla form of communication—quick, viral, impossible to fully censor.
A witty meme spreads faster and sticks longer than a press release. And while it entertains, it also resists. Art, as my professor once said, is a shield. It outmanoeuvres systems that want us silent and compliant.
Indonesia is blessed with people whose humor is sharp and unyielding. Let’s keep nurturing it. Turning resistance into culture ensures it survives even when repression hits hardest.
Unlike our predecessors, we now have tools they didn’t: digital spaces, global solidarity networks, and the capacity to archive every move the state makes. This allows us to be more strategic, more inclusive, and more resilient. No one should be left behind, and no truth should be erased.
Yes, it is exhausting. Each generation has had to take up this fight. But if injustice doesn’t pause, neither can we. We won’t always get it perfect, but fear should never dictate our steps.
So, we keep going. We document. We create. We join threads. We share memes. We talk, laugh, rage, and stick together. Chaos may storm in, narratives may twist, power may try to intimidate—but our fire is ours. Courage runs through our veins.
Ayunda Nurvitasari writes—sometimes quietly, sometimes like wildfire; sometimes for a living, sometimes to stay sane.
