THE OPTIMIZATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ADAPTIVE GOVERNANCE: INSTAGRAM AS A SMART GOVERNMENT INSTRUMENT IN PANEMBANGAN VILLAGE

Abstract

This study critically analyzes the strategic utilization of social media optimization as an innovative instrument for Smart Government to overcome the prevalent structural digital divide in Panembangan Village and examine the associated political risks of non-institutional platform ownership. This research employed a rigorous Action Research methodology involving key village officials and youth representatives across three interwoven cycles: Diagnosis, Intervention (optimization of the official Instagram account @pemdes.panembangan), and Reflective Evaluation. Data collection utilized a mixed-method design including Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and systematic observation. Empirical evidence confirmed a significant paradigmatic shift among stakeholders from perceiving the platform merely as digital archival to adaptive responsiveness. However, a major finding is the emergence of an informal locus of power due to individual platform ownership, which risks political contestation and public data capture. The study concludes that the optimization validates Social Media Proximity as an efficient governance heuristic, but its long-term sustainability depends critically on formalizing institutional control to ensure digital institutional sovereignty and truly adaptive local governance, thereby accelerating the fulfillment of SDGs 9, 11, and 16.s 9, 11, and 16.