Weaponizing the digital divide
A Weberian analysis of elite domination in Indonesia political contestation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23312093 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Reza Amarta Prayoga (0000-0002-5534-5693, University of Indonesia), Erlita Tantri (University of Indonesia, corresponding author), Arditya Wicaksono (0000-0002-8661-1106, National Research and Innovation Agency), Eko Wahyono (0000-0002-4529-559X, National Research and Innovation Agency), Djoko Puguh Wibowo (National Research and Innovation Agency), Cahyo Pamungkas (0000-0002-0299-127X, National Research and Innovation Agency), Rita Pawestri Setyaningsih (0000-0002-9731-0931, National Research and Innovation Agency), Devi Tri Indriasari (0000-0001-8627-1706, National Research and Innovation Agency) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Pages | 1866231-1866231 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-30 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2297-7775 • E-ISSN: 2297-7775 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fsoc.2026.1866231 |
| PMID | 42597197 |
| OpenAlex | W7171710010 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
Introduction Although Max Weber did not explicitly address digital technology, his theoretical framework remains crucial for understanding contemporary media power. In transitional democracies like Indonesia, widespread internet connectivity contrasts sharply with low national digital literacy, shifting the “digital divide” from a primary crisis of infrastructural access to a secondary crisis of cognitive competence. This study examines how political elites weaponize this secondary divide within the post-truth landscape to dominate the public attention space and consolidate power. Methods Grounded in Weberian digital sociology, this qualitative study utilized a triangulated research design combining a systematic literature review ( n = 42), a documentary study of legislative and party archives ( n = 25), and a six-month digital observation (October 2023 – March 2024) across social media platforms (X and Instagram) during the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election. Data were analyzed using deductive thematic coding to trace algorithmic rationalization and engagement mechanics. Results The findings reveal that low digital literacy creates a profound cognitive vacuum that elites exploit through automated digital bureaucracies. By deploying AI-generated campaign strategies—most notably the synthetic “Gemoy” avatar during the 2024 election—political elites bypassed traditional institutional gatekeepers. This dynamic manifested a modernized form of plebiscitary charismatic domination driven by three empirical mechanisms: algorithmic satiation , cognitive desensitization , and procedural validation . Discussion This study advances Weberian scholarship by introducing the concepts of “Algorithmic Charisma”—where emotional authority is synthetically manufactured via machine learning—and the “Participatory Iron Cage,” wherein hyper-connected users voluntarily reproduce elite-driven platform metrics. Ultimately, the digital divide in the Global South functions not merely as a metric of socio-economic inequality, but as a rationalized structural weapon of elite political hegemony.
Charisma · Digital media · Elite · Legislature · Politics · Presidential system · Reflexivity · Scholarship · Social media · Asian Studies and History · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Social Media and Politics
Media Ownership and Agenda Control
The dialectics of media and information literacy with information disorder in the post-truth digital era
Perundungan di Dunia Maya sebagai Perilaku Menyimpang
Rethinking Science, Technology, and Social Change
Fake News as a Floating Signifier
Technologised consumer culture
Artificial intelligence and the public arena
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |