Medan. The Communication Science Study Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) of the University of North Sumatra (USU) has taken a proactive step in empowering the younger generation to face the digital era. Through their community service team, they have partnered with SMP Harapan 3 Delitua as a partner in organizing digital literacy strengthening training aimed at students on July 22 and 25, 2024 at the Johor Campus 2 Hall, Harapan Education Foundation.

This training is a response to the increasing cases of online violence that are a serious threat to teenagers. Yovita Sabarina Sitepu, S.Sos., M.Si., as the head of the community service team, explained the urgency of this activity. "We can see, how children today, starting from studying, playing online games, playing social media, always increase their usage time in the cyber world. There is a lot of online violence that they can encounter or face. They can be the perpetrators or even the victims," ​​said Yovita when met at the training location, Monday (22/7).

This program was attended by 60 students of SMP Harapan 3 Delitua, combining various interactive learning methods. In addition to gaining theoretical understanding through lectures, participants were also involved in group discussions that triggered their critical thinking.

Not only lecturers, communication science students; Farah Ramizah Alya, Heflin Laurensia Datubara, Kenzie Alexander Kelana, Putri Romawani, and Wa Hidayah Asyura Fiestri Palari, also participated in accompanying the implementation of focus group discussions (FGD). FGD was held as a form of practice in recognizing cyberbullying cases and discussing responses and solutions.

One of the highlights of this training was the hands-on practice session where students were guided to create anti-online violence campaign content. This activity not only honed creativity, but also gave participants the opportunity to become agents of change in their digital environment.

"We want to change the paradigm of teenagers from being passive consumers to responsible content creators. Thus, they can not only protect themselves, but are also able to spread positive influences on social media," added Yovita.

Deputy Principal of SMP Harapan 3 Delitua, Ahmad Razali, M.Sos., enthusiastically welcomed this initiative. "Amidst the rampant use of social media among students, this kind of training is very relevant and needed. We hope that our students can become pioneers in creating a healthy and safe digital environment," he said.

This community service activity is in line with the National Digital Literacy Movement initiated by the government. FISIP USU is committed to continuing and expanding the reach of similar programs to other schools in Medan City.

"This is just the first step. In the future, we plan to reach more schools and communities. The ultimate goal is to create a safer and more productive digital ecosystem for the younger generation," concluded Yovita.

With this initiative, FISIP USU proves its role not only as an institution of higher education, but also as a catalyst for positive social change in the digital era.

Source: https://suarausu.or.id/ilmu-komunikasi-fisip-usu-berdayakan-remaja-hadapi-tantangan-digital-secara-pelatihan-literasi/