Social Media and Political Mobilization in General Elections in Indonesia

Social media has become an effective tool in political campaigns in Indonesia. The use of social media enables the rapid and widespread dissemination of information, but it also creates space for the emergence of fake news and hate speech that can divide society. This article examines how social media was used by political contestants during the 2014, 2019, and 2024 elections as a tool to mobilize support, and how this led to political vulnerability through identity polarization and hashtag wars in the digital space. The study employs a qualitative descriptive approach by collecting data from literature and observing campaign activities on social media. The findings show that the use of identity issues in social media campaigns tends to increase political intolerance and trigger social conflict, especially when hate narratives are politicized. Therefore, risk mitigation in the use of social media for political campaigns is essential to maintaining democratic stability in Indonesia. This paper recommends the active role of election monitoring bodies and political parties in preventing the misuse of social media for political purposes that could endanger social cohesion.