Indonesian presidential hopefuls are trying social media, K-pop to win young voters. Will it work?
ABC News
As Indonesia votes this month to replace popular President Joko Widodo, all three candidates have all been aggressively seeking to win the votes of younger people, reaching out to them on the apps they use, through the K-pop music many love, and even v...
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Seventeen-year-old Naima Khairiya Ismah started being bombarded by social media posts from candidates for Indonesia's presidential election on before she'd even given voting any thought.
As three candidates vie to replace popular but term-limited President Joko Widodo in an election later this month, they've been aggressively seeking millennials and Gen Z voters. People between the minimum voting age of 17 and the age of 43 make up about 55% of the country's 205 million eligible voters.
Candidates are reaching out through the apps young voters use, the K-pop music many love, and even video gaming events.
“As young people, we can't meet the candidates in person,” said first-time voter Ismah, chatting after class outside her Jakarta high school. “The easiest way to know them is through social media platforms, which is very effective.”
The candidates — former defense minister Prabowo Subianto, 72; governing party candidate Ganjar Pranowo, 55; and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, 54 — are all from Indonesia’s conservative, male-dominated political scene. But their campaigns have been stressing issues that matter to young people: job opportunities, climate change and institutional corruption.
