As part of its 4th Lustrum celebration, the Cultural and Media Studies Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada, in collaboration with DAAD Alumni, organized the “DAAD Alumni Treffen and Seminar 2025” held at The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta on Monday, April 28, 2025. One of the panel sessions, titled “Mediating Minority and Activism in Digital Space,” featured three speakers: Dr. Rivi Handayani, Dr. Phil. Ramayda Akmal, and Dr. Y. Bambang Wiratmojo. The session was moderated by Dr. Souvia Rahimah.
The first presentation was delivered by Dr. Rivi Handayani, who shared her research titled “Self-Representation of Persons With Disabilities on Instagram and TikTok: Empowerment or Inspiration Porn”. In her presentation, Rivi discussed how digital platforms—particularly Instagram and TikTok—employ algorithms, engagement patterns, and digital visibility to frame narratives about disability. She highlighted two contrasting representations: on the one hand, people with disabilities demonstrate empowerment through their own means of negotiating their conditions; on the other hand, these narratives are often co-opted to evoke excessive empathy from viewers, reducing lived experiences into mere inspirational content or what is known as inspiration porn.
Following this, the second speaker, Dr. Phil. Ramayda Akmal, approached digital media issues from a literary perspective. Her presentation, “Constructing the Reading Self: Indonesian Bookstagrammer in the Age of Platform Capitalism”, explored how Bookstagrammers in Indonesia have transformed in response to platform algorithms and the logic of digital capitalism. Ramayda discussed the evolution of these users into literacy influencers, examining the shifts in content before and after becoming influencers, their motivations, and the implications for reading culture in the platform era.
The third speaker, Dr. Y. Bambang Wiratmojo, presented his research titled “I Know What I Should Do on Social Media: Privacy Practices and Digital Literacy Phenomenon of Indonesian Adolescents”. He examined how social media enables adolescents to navigate psychological development in areas such as self-presentation, self-expression, and sexual exploration. Bambang emphasized the crucial role of digital literacy in helping young users engage with social media consciously and responsibly.
The panel “Mediating Minority and Activism in Digital Space” provided a critical reflection on how individuals and marginalized communities navigate digital environments. The three speakers illuminated the complex dynamics between agency, algorithm, and digital existence in shaping self-representation—be it among persons with disabilities, literacy influencers, or adolescents. This discussion highlighted that digital space is not merely a medium of communication, but a contested arena of meaning, identity, and power, demanding a deeper awareness of and engagement with digital literacy.
Contributor: Laillia Dhiah Indriani
Documentation: Leonardo Y. Bornevo
