KaburAjaDulu as Digital Protest: Media Framing and Youth Counter-Narratives of 'Escaping Indonesia' in YouTube Discourses

This research examines the #KaburAjaDulu hashtag, a symbol of youth frustration in Indonesia, expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s economic instability and political system. The study analyzes how this discourse is framed across three primary YouTube media channels in Indonesia, CNN Indonesia, Kompas TV, and TV One, as well as their comment sections. The study explores the dynamics of in-group versus out-group identity, processes of legitimization and delegitimization, and the underlying power relations. The study found that the media reflected the government’s stance, portraying migration as an irrational response and disloyalty to the nation. In this context, the term “escape” was reduced to merely seeking work, ignoring the more profound meaning as a protest against harsh conditions in Indonesia, particularly concerning systemic issues such as corruption and legal uncertainty. In contrast, the commentary section provided an alternative view, where youth migration was seen as a protest against corruption and deeper political and economic issues. Here, the media failed to critically address the root causes of youth migration and instead reinforced the government’s narrative, ignoring the real motivations behind youth’s decision to leave. This study introduces leveraging the platform’s real-time engagement to explore a dynamic discourse not captured by traditional media studies.