KEBEBASAN BEREKSPRESI DI ERA MEME: DINAMIKA BUDAYA, KREATIVITAS, DAN ETIKA DIGITAL

Authors

  • Chairullia Absari Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28944/hudanlinnaas.v6i2.2340

Keywords:

Digital Culture, Communication Ethics, Freedom of Expression, Memes

Abstract

The development of digital culture has given rise to memes as a form of popular expression used by society, especially among young people, to convey social and political criticism. Memes offer quick, visual, and meaningful message delivery, but also present ethical and legal challenges. This study aims to analyze the function of memes in the practice of freedom of expression and to examine the boundaries between creativity, social norms, and digital regulations. The method used is a qualitative approach through literature study. Data sources were obtained from scientific journals, online news, academic books, and relevant legal documents. Thematic descriptive analysis was conducted to identify the role of memes as a tool for criticism and the dynamics of the challenges involved. The findings show that memes can serve as a participatory medium in shaping public opinion and voicing criticism on socio-political issues. However, challenges such as loss of context, opinion polarization, and the risk of criminalization under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) remain significant obstacles. Therefore, improving digital literacy and adopting adaptive policy approaches are necessary to ensure that expression through memes remains within ethical and democratic boundaries.

References

AlAfnan, M. A. (2025). The Role of Memes in Shaping Political Discourse on Social Media. Studies in Media and Communication, 13(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v13i2.7482

Ali, S. W., & Husain, N. (2024). Humor in Digital Discourse : A Pragmatic Analysis of Memes on Social Media. Madani : Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisipline, 2(3), 72–81.

BBC News Indonesia. (2025, Mei 13). Mahasiswa ITB ditahan karena meme Prabowo-Jokowi. BBC News Indonesia. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/czel388wydlo

CNN Indonesia. (2025, Mei 11). Mahasiswa ITB jadi tersangka meme Prabowo-Jokowi, Istana buka suara. CNN Indonesia.Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20250511065923-12-1228175/mahasiswa-itb-jadi-tersangka-meme-prabowo-jokowi-istana-buka-suara

Eka Safitri, Rahma Danisa., Moch Akbar Maulana, D. (2024). Penggunaan Meme Sejarah di Media Sosial X Guna Membangun Nasionalisme Generasi Bangsa Pada Mahasiswa Sejarah UNNES. Jurnal Mediasi, 3(2), 187–202.

Fatanti, M. N., & Prabawangi, R. P. (2021). Meme Politik Dalam Ruang Wacana Komunikasi Politik Di Indonesia. Diakom : Jurnal Media Dan Komunikasi, 4(2), 163–174. https://doi.org/10.17933/diakom.v4i2.253

Holm, C. H. (2021). What Do You Meme? The Sociolinguistic Potential of Internet Memes. Leviathan: Interdisciplinary Journal in English, 7, 1–20. https://tidsskrift.dk/lev/article/view/125340

Kharisma Putri, R. dian. (2025). The All-Seeing Algorithm: Panopticon and Surveillance of the Docudrama “The Social Dilemma.” Journal Evaluation in Education, 6(1).

Mukhtar, S., Ul Ain Ayyaz, Q., Khan, S., Muhammad Nawaz Bhopali, A., Khalid Mehmood Sajid, M., & Wasaya Babbar, A. (2024). Memes In The Digital Age: A Sociolinguistic Examination Of Cultural Expressions And Communicative Practices Across Border. Educational Administration: Theory And Practice, 30(6), 1443–1455. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i6.5520

Nasution, A. F. (2023). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif. CV. Harfa Creative (1st ed.)

Nur, Mochammad Fajar (2025, Oktober 27). Ancaman Pidana Pembuat Meme Bahlil, Salah Kaprah dan Berlebihan. Retrieved October 27, 2025, from https://tirto.id/ancaman-pidana-pembuat-meme-bahlil-salah-kaprah-dan-berlebihan-hkq3

Pandutama, A., Habsari, A. K., Achmad, A. L., & Hidayat, M. A. (2024). Political Mediatization in Memes: A Netnography Study on Ganjar Pranowo & Mahfud MD Candidate Memes for The 2024 Period. Eduvest - Journal of Universal Studies, 4(12), 11427–11454. https://doi.org/10.59188/eduvest.v4i12.50056

Putra, A. S. dkk. (2023). MEME POLITIK SEBAGAI REPRESENTASI KOMUNIKASI KRITIS DI MEDIA SOSIAL. Jurnal Fusion, 3(09), 1005–1017.

Rahmawati, N. D., & Mahadian, A. B. (2023). Internet Meme Sebagai Bahasa Baru yang Mengglobal di Era Digital (Analisis Konten pada Meme Swole Doge vs Cheems Doge dalam Situs Knowyourmeme.com). E-Proceeding of Management, 10(4), 2818–2826.

Shifman, L. (2014). Memes In Digital Culture. In MIT Press Essential Knowledge (Vol. 1, Issue 1). http://www.biblioteca.pucminas.br/teses/Educacao_PereiraAS_1.pdf%0Ahttp://www.anpocs.org.br/portal/publicacoes/rbcs_00_11/rbcs11_01.htm%0Ahttp://repositorio.ipea.gov.br/bitstream/11058/7845/1/td_2306.pdf%0Ahttps://direitoufma2010.files.wordpress.com/2010/

Suhantoro, I., & Sufyanto, S. (2024). Meme sebagai Katalisator Politik di Media Sosial Indonesia. Interaction Communication Studies Journal, 1(2), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.47134/interaction.v1i2.2887

Izzuddin, H., Mardianti, D. L., Yaputra, H., & Siswadi, A. (2025, Mei 12). Kronologi Mahasiswa ITB dan Meme Prabowo-Jokowi. Tempo. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://www.tempo.co/hukum/kronologi-mahasiswa-itb-bikin-meme-prabowo-jokowi-hingga-jadi-urusan-polisi-1414077

Wahyudi, U. (2025). Narasi Meme sebagai Mekanisme Kontrol Sosial: Analisis Wacana Visual dalam Budaya Digital. Journal of Mandalika Social Science, 3(1), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.59613/jomss.v3i1.251

Downloads

Published

2025-12-28

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2025): Jurnal Hudan Linnaas Vol 6 No. 2, 2025

Section

Articles

Citation Check

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.