IPB University Academician: Buzzers Are Not Always Negative, Need Digital Literacy to Counter Opinion Manipulation
IPB University Vocational School lecturer, Dr Hari Otang Sasmita, shared his views on the buzzer phenomenon in social media that often becomes a concern in shaping public opinion. He said that the existence of buzzers is not always synonymous with negativity.
“Buzzers are not always synonymous with negativity, although they are often associated with manipulating public opinion,” said Dr Hari.
According to him, there is a positive side that emerges when buzzers are used to accelerate the spread of correct information and support social goals. For example, in health campaigns, public education, and disaster mitigation.
He further explained that buzzers can act as information amplifiers, accelerating the spread of important messages to a wider community that is difficult to reach with conventional methods. However, the social effect becomes complex when buzzers influence the formation of massive public opinion through social media.
“Buzzers work by leveraging the network effects and personalization algorithms of social media platforms. They coordinate certain narratives and increase exposure so that opinions appear to be supported by the majority,” he explains. This phenomenon creates a bandwagon effect, where people tend to follow opinions that appear dominant on their timelines.
However, he warns that when buzzers are used manipulatively, the impact can be destructive. “If managed unethically, buzzers can accelerate social polarization, muddy the public sphere, and spread disinformation,” he added.
Dr Hari also discussed the role of bot accounts and artificial intelligence (AI) in amplifying the influence of buzzers. According to him, the increasing use of automated and semi-automated accounts has changed the landscape of public discourse. These accounts are capable of spreading messages in large volumes and are used strategically to shape public opinion, so the quality of discourse decreases.
“Our digital space is increasingly filled with noise rather than substantial dialog,” he explained. This condition, he said, increases the risk of creating echo chambers, digital echo chambers that only display the same views.
Facing these challenges, Dr Hari emphasized the need to improve digital literacy to build public awareness. He cited Clay Shirky’s notion of filter failure, that the main problem lies not in the amount of information, but rather the failure to filter important and accurate information.
Suggested strategies include the integration of digital literacy curricula, expansion of educational programs for adults and the elderly, and fact-checking interventions that do not induce extreme skepticism towards legitimate sources of information. In addition, public campaigns to recognize fake news and training in visual analysis skills are also needed.
Dr Hari explains, “All these strategies are geared towards fixing filter failure, rebuilding information filtering mechanisms at the individual and community level.”
He reiterated that without a good filter, the public is at great risk of being caught in a flood of false information, exacerbating polarization and weakening the quality of healthy public discourse. (dr) (IAAS/PRO)
