By Stube HEMAT / Thomas Yulianto
The advance of technology affects human life, especially during the pandemic. Human life is 'forced' to access technology. If someone cannot use technology, he will be left behind with people who are adaptive to the digital world. The advances in digital technology are good for human life, for example, the distance between people is no longer a barrier to communicate and can even communicate face to face, everyone has an opportunity to access information quickly and can even earn income by utilizing technology for business and services.
The rapid advance of technology become an alternative activity in the Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Lampung to enrich young people and students, so that they can compete in the digital era and get benefit from it. Training on Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era which applied methods of discussion, seminar, visits, and practice was held on July 31, 2021, at Pondok Diakonia, Center for Development and Skills Training, East Lampung. Rev. Eko Nugroho M.Th, the program manager of YABIMA Indonesia conveyed a topic “The World in the Digitalization Era” which was attended by twenty-five students and church youth.
Rev. Eko started the dialogue by asking a query, "Does everyone here have a mobile phone with internet facilities?" Most participants have a modern mobile phone. He continued that the current era can be called the abundance of the information era. It is marked by the ease of obtaining information accessed by people. When someone needs information about something, he or she can simply type or say something on Google or other search engines, and in second the required information will be available.
This era is also considered as the era of 'nudity,' because everyone without thinking expresses feelings, a problem that occurs and even mentions his identity in social media. These allow anyone to know information where, what about, even personal data that should not be for public consumption. Moreover, information is abundant however whether all the information useful, good, and true? The answer can be yes or no, for example when communicating via WhatsApp, someone is easy to give opinions or to forward information about Covid 19 without checking, cross-checking, although it is out of his/her field competence. A person can spread misinformation by accessing information from an invalid source. Rev. Eko invited all participants to be wise and responsible to use a mobile phone. When someone uses a mobile phone he/she should use it according to their needs, avoiding excessive use by time, finances, and abilities. He also encouraged participants to actively promote good things and share their positive activities on social media, and to avoid personal shares that could lead to negative responses on social media.
This discussion motivates participants to learn more in mastering technological advances in the digital era, so they will not become a 'stutter' generation, or out of date. When someone masters technology, he must spread a positive impact to friends on social media in a responsible way. The readiness of Lampung youth to enter the era of digital progress is determined by their ability to learn, adapt and develop themselves. Come on, young people from Lampung, get ready for the digital era. ***