TOWARD YOUTH-DRIVEN SUSTAINABLE DIGITAL FUTURE: EMBEDDEDNESS OF LOCAL WISDOM IN RURAL TRANSFORMATION

Nadhira Shania Tabrizia Azis; Isty Mustikaningtyas Wahyuningsih; Salsabila Damayanti

Nadhira Shania Tabrizia Azis Department of Politics, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, 53122, Central Java, Indonesia
Isty Mustikaningtyas Wahyuningsih Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, 53122, Central Java, Indonesia
Salsabila Damayanti Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, 53122, Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Studies on rural digital transformation rarely highlight the relationship between youth, local wisdom, and the vision for a sustainable future community. This study examines how cultural values and the role of youth can be embedded in rural digitalisation. This research was conducted in Karangtengah Village, Cilacap Regency, using qualitative methods and Manuel Castells' theory of modernisation, which emphasises modernisation as a transformation towards an information technology-based network society. Karangtengah Village is an agricultural village that produces rice and sticky rice, with a spirit of cooperation that supports food security, MSMEs, and local culture. This study found that rural digital transformation can be synergised with local wisdom and youth as catalysts. Local values, youth, and digitalisation are strengths offered as a new conceptual framework in village development. These three elements have the potential to produce what is known as digital cultural preservation, digital entrepreneurship, cultural resilience, and digital participation and governance. This study concludes that to carry out digital transformation, there needs to be a shift in focus from mere digital inclusion to youth-driven digital sustainability integrated with local wisdom.