When a young dancer performed on a boat during a traditional festival in Kuantan Singingi, Riau, the world took notice. The moment sparked a global trend dubbed “Aura Farming”, a term used to describe someone showcasing their most charismatic or “coolest” self, often to gain digital popularity. But while this viral phenomenon circulated across platforms and continents, one question remains unanswered: Is Indonesia ready to harness this moment and others like it as an instrument of people-to-people diplomacy?
Ironically, as Indonesian youth make waves in the global digital space, the country’s formal diplomacy seems to be adrift. Ambassadorial positions remain vacant in key states, including the United States, at a time when the world faces escalating geopolitical tensions and economic rivalries. Only last week did a new batch of ambassadorial nominees finally undergo parliamentary hearings. These delays reflect a weakening sof Indonesia’s official diplomatic machinery at a time of global flux.
Meanwhile, Indonesia seems to be missing a significant opportunity in an area that requires no formal state apparatus as people-to-people diplomacy (P2P), widely recognised in diplomatic circles, especially among non-state actors. According to Payne (2009) and Handelmen (2022) P2P diplomacy emphasises sustainable cooperation through grassroots initiatives, from cultural exchanges and education to dialogue and peacebuilding. In this context, individuals, communities, and NGOs become de facto diplomats, telling stories, sharing values, and bridging cultures.
Indonesia has no shortage of digital storytellers. The country boasts more than 3,000 digital channels and approximately 17 million content creators, 63% of whom do it professionally. Yet, despite this massive cultural engine, the state has failed to recognise or support these creators as assets of national soft power. As a result, much of their content remains either trivial or is dismissed purely as entertainment, rather than viewed as a strategic tool to enhance Indonesia’s global influence.
More troubling is the proliferation of problematic content, especially on platforms like YouTube. Without robust parental controls or meaningful digital governance, children are increasingly exposed to inappropriate or even pornographic material, often disguised in the form of cartoons, Minecraft mods, or viral animations like the so-called “Anomaly” content. These videos slip through Indonesia’s internet firewalls and flood the feeds of toddlers and children alike.
At the same time, bizarre and absurdist characters, often generated with the help of AI, are becoming part of children’s cultural diet. From “Tung Tung Sahur”, which echoes Indonesia’s traditional “kentongan” (bamboo alarm instruments), to nonsensical names like Skibidi Toilet, Bombombini Gusini, Kel Kel Mokel, or Ketupat Kepat Perkupat, these characters could have been reinterpreted or reclaimed to highlight Indonesian values and heritage. But again, the government has remained absent, even as some of these figures gain traction during cultural moments like Ramadan.
This missed opportunity is more than cultural neglect, it is a failure to intervene in shaping the digital environment of Indonesia’s next generation. When children grow up normalising “anomalies,” the line between value and virtual becomes dangerously blurred. What should be a tool for national storytelling becomes an instrument of cultural confusion.
Back to Aura Farming, this cultural moment was amplified globally by influencers, musicians, footballers, and other public figures. With millions of followers, their replication of the Riau dancer’s gestures signalled how potent this moment could be if framed and interpreted with intention. Yet there has been no significant move from the government, or even from Indonesian civil society, to explain the cultural origins of the boat festival, or to use the momentum for cross-cultural exchange.
The next festival is coming this August. Will Indonesia once again let this global attention pass, unleveraged?
Some initiatives should be taken by the authorities. For instance, inviting potential foreign content creators to attend the upcoming event, providing cultural explanations about the history and significance of the festival in multiple languages, supporting local creators who promote cultural narratives globally, and hosting digital diplomacy dialogues that involve not only high-level diplomats but also cultural content creators and educators.
The government and all stakeholders in Indonesia’s cultural and diplomatic spheres must learn to see virality not just as fleeting entertainment but as a window for P2P diplomacy incentives. We already have the stage. What we need now is the P2P script.
Author: Ramita Paraswati