Yogyakarta — Social media dominance has officially eclipsed traditional television networks as the primary vehicle for political discourse and public consumption. Solomon Darren Wang and Budhi Susilo, researchers from the University of Proklamasi 45 Yogyakarta, published an intensive policy analysis in 2026 regarding TikTok's strategic utilization during the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election. This scientific investigation demonstrates that innovative digital campaigns leveraging Key Opinion Customers (KOC) and Cultural Opinion Leaders (COL) successfully transformed political preferences and voting behavior among Generation Z.
TikTok has amassed more than 125 million active users in Indonesia, positioning it as the country's second-largest source of political information after television broadcasts. During the 2024 election, this digital landscape became highly critical because young voters under 40 accounted for 52 percent of the national electoral roll. Recognizing this demographic shift, political campaign teams responded aggressively, notably the digital strategist for Prabowo Subianto, who was 72 years old at the time. By designing creative and highly engaging short-form videos, his team successfully rebranded his political image into a cheerful, grandfatherly figure through a viral signature dance technique. Political rivals, including Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, also expanded their digital operations by hosting live broadcasts to address first-time voters directly in real-time.
Despite TikTok's unprecedented information reach, the study flags severe challenges, particularly the saturation of manipulative content targeting Gen Z's limited historical and political awareness. Digital narratives frequently distorted historical tracks using deepfake videos and altered images distributed across the platform. Furthermore, this social media campaign push encountered structural barriers, such as regional internet connectivity gaps outside Java, which threatened voting consistency across diverse socioeconomic groups. The persistent threat of malicious black campaigns and political hoaxes also demanded round-the-clock monitoring from political communication teams to secure campaign integrity.
The methodology of this academic study integrated a descriptive qualitative analysis designed to closely evaluate voter behavior and digital phenomena. Data collection involved monitoring online political trends, checking regulatory documents, reviewing voter psychology literature, and organizing narrative content derived from TikTok interactions throughout the election period.
The data analysis reveals that TikTok's political efficacy stems from its specialized algorithm aligning perfectly with Generation Z's demand for genuine, interactive, and entertaining communication. Relying on consumer-influencers like Key Opinion Customers provided a high level of credibility, as younger audiences perceive their opinions as more authentic and independent from official party funding. Structured message planning and audience acquisition pillars allowed political parties to systematically increase candidate popularity and electability. Additionally, fostering two-way communication in the comment sections built deep emotional connections between first-time voters and political frontrunners.
The broader implications of these scientific findings emphasize that future political communication frameworks must prioritize information literacy to shield voters from disinformation. Politicians should focus on delivering authentic data without digital manipulation. For educational institutions and policymakers, this research serves as a clear call to implement comprehensive digital citizenship programs, ensuring young voters maintain a critical mindset when navigating political content on social media.
Researcher Profiles
- Solomon Darren Wang – Guangxi Overseas Chinese School
- Budhi Susilo – University of Proklamasi 45 Yogyakarta
Research Sources
Article Title: Tiktok Effect Toward the Indonesia President Election 2024 (Using Key Opinion Customer (KOC) and Cultural Opinion Leader (COL) Toward Z Generation)
Journal Name: East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5, No. 5, 2026: 1759-1768DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i5.68Official URL: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr
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