From Memes to Activism: A Bibliometric Analysis of Digital Democracy Research in Indonesia (2014-2024)

Abstract

This study aims to provide an overview of research trends on digital democracy in Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 835 studies obtained through the Google Scholar database using VOSviewer software. The analysis revealed 10 topic clusters with various research topics related to digital democracy, dominated by critical discourse analysis, hate speech, community behavior in the digital realm, memes, Generation Z communication, perception, representation, websites, analysis of digital democracy channels, the president, and Islam. The most influential researcher based on citation count is YE Rachmad. The findings emphasize the influence of information technology development on digital democracy in Indonesia. Memes emerge as a form of expression for Indonesian citizens to voice their opinions in a political context, reflecting their affinity for comedy and humor. Generation Z’s communication in the context of digital democracy is closely tied to their preferred influencers, journalists, musicians, and actors. The study highlights the need for academics to analyze digital democracy channels, as research until 2024 has primarily focused on Twitter due to the ease of data crawling, despite it being an echo chamber representing only a small part of Indonesian society. Further research should expand the scope to other platforms and reputable international publication databases.