Social Media and Information Abundance: Flooding the Digital Realm in Indonesia

Abstract

This article examines the concept of "information abundance" in the context of Indonesia's democratic decline. Indonesia has long been known for ubiquitous use of online platforms, and is sometimes referred to as the "social media capital" of the world. However, information abundance is now seen as problematic, with the term "infodemic" based around concerns of "too much information." Following Indonesian scholarly ideas around critical communication, this article explains how practices of information abundance manipulate and undermine citizen approaches to information, especially via social media. Specifically, I examine how certain actors "flood" social media and online platforms in order to distort messaging and shape narratives. Research for this paper comes from fieldwork in Indonesia throughout the Jokowi government administration (2014-2024), including meetings and personal interviews with social media campaigners, journalists and public relations strategists.