JAKARTA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria has warned that the dominance of digital platforms and algorithms poses a new form of colonialism in the digital era, especially for the younger generation.
Nezar said in a statement on Sunday that social media platforms and algorithms are increasingly shaping how people access information and form opinions, making it harder to distinguish facts from opinions or manipulated content.
"Today, our lives are mediated by digital platforms. Even the way we think is slowly shaped by algorithms," he said.
He warned that such conditions could deepen social polarization, spread misinformation and weaken critical thinking, particularly among young people.
He urged Indonesian youth to strengthen their skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as digital literacy, saying Indonesia must become an active player in the global digital industry rather than merely a market and consumer of technology. ■
