Orang Ini Kerjanya Meneliti Generasi

Today we meet Dr. Muhammad Faisal, a generation research researcher. Thank you for coming. - Thank you. - This book is really exciting. I've seen the content and I just received the book. I skimmed through it for a while. This is really interesting and we had a chat earlier.

- So, Dr. Faisal, this is more about the generation study. But before we start, let's start from the definition first. What is the generation? - The generation, actually there was a study about the generation that started after World War II. So, there was a Carmen Hem who talked about the generation. So, the way to understand the generation is based on units, based on cohorts.

The unit that the common people often use now. For example, let's say, the millennial. The millennial born in 1981 to the beginning of 2000. Then they have the character A, B, C, D, E, F, G. That's understood as a unit. Which is actually a bit confusing because we see the generation like reading a horoscope. Okay. Born in the same year, what do you like, what do you dislike, what is the character like? Even though when we are born, we don't bring characteristics. -Understood. -Bawaan.

Then Manheim said, there is also an understanding based on cohort. So the generation is just born if there is a big event. - What does cohort mean? - So there is a certain gap and it is determined by the event. Now the event is called a critical moment. So for example, there is a war, there is a pandemic, there is an economic crisis.

That will later form a different generation character. - So, cohort, in definition, is a critical moment? - Yes, based on the critical moment. - Okay. So, what comes first is the understanding of the generation as a unit.

...there was a counter argument that we should understand it as a cohort. Or did he just separate the two? - In theory, there are more experts like Neil Howe and William Strauss... ...who gave birth to the term "Millennial Generation", Gen Y, Gen Z, and so on. And both of them are interesting historians. So they wrote the history of the American generation from the 19th century.

until later, around 2030. And they started writing that in the 80s. So they said that if we read the old generation's pattern, we can predict the future generation.

So that's the understanding of cohort. Cohort is based on events. Then based on events, they can find out there are patterns of generations in the United States. Well, in us, what's interesting is we take it in pieces. So if it's a millennial, it means there are millennials in Indonesia.

While if we open, let's say, ask CGPT or Wikipedia, the millennial that was born in 1981 and so on. Without understanding why 1981 was the benchmark for the birth of the millennial generation. While that's actually why in the benchmark of 1981, Neil Howe and William Strauss found that there was a demographic, a generation that was interesting in the United States, namely the increase in fertility. It means the number of young people is increasing.

So if there are many young people, it determines the character of the American society. What happened yesterday, for example, there was a big demonstration of young people. In Indonesia, in 1981, the events were not the same, right? So we have to read back what actually happened to us, so that it forms a generation like what. For example, let's say I ...

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On campus, many seniors become fossil on the guitar because they don't get a job. It colors all the characters of life on campus. Then it's more of a hassle, I want to reach stability faster, I want to be mature faster.

That's what shaped our character. So the event finally shaped the character that I mentioned in the book "Generasi P". So the generation P is the millennial version of Indonesia. What is the determinant? Yes, in 1998, where we experienced social, political, and economic turbulence. And finally, the millennial generation of Indonesia was born. - Okay. So it means

- The generation determination as a unit, if we want to separate it, there is a unit or a cohort. Generation determination as a unit is actually derived from the cohort. Then it is classified into... - If the unit has a kind of rule of thumb. So, it looks at the generation every 30 years.

So, after 30 years, let's say, a new generation will emerge with a new character. - Okay. So, it's separated from the millennial generation, the generation X, the generation Y, it's separated from there, right? - Yes, but it's mixed. Now the understanding is as if... - One. - Yes, after a few years, it means this is a new generation. - Okay. - It means that the misconception that is happening now is as if the millennial...

the use of the word "Millennial Indonesia" is incorrect. Because the word "Millennial" is actually the word "American Millennial" with anxiety and stigma, because there is an important event or a sign of the generation that we may not have. So, when

when people understand that the millennial generation has

have the ABCD character, we may not have it in our generation to measure births. - It's actually very different. So, for example, around 2 years ago, the French government, the Ministry of Culture, suggested not to use the term Gen Y, Gen Z, Millenial. So, if you mention French young people, they have their own term, called Longfong de Numérique.

So, they can't. Why? Because they're afraid that the stereotype of young people in the US will be taken down to the French youth. And they feel that it's not the same. Our young people and the young people there are different. When we're in a hurry to use those terms, it's finally mixed up. The stereotypes and stigma about young people here are the same as the young people there. - Okay. If that's the case, the question becomes this. What is the sign of the generation

that Dr. Faisal can find to share with the generations who are living together in Indonesia. What are the generations like these? - What's interesting is that in Indonesia, unlike in America, the American nation is founded by the parents. The founding fathers of America have their own statues. All of them are parents. Indonesia is founded by young people.

So in 1901, there was an ethical policy that our young people could finally enjoy education. The children of the earth. Then ideology was exposed, the concept of republic, democracy, revolution. That was the first phase. A generation was born. Founding fathers.

The second phase was the 1960s, there was a socialist leftist movement, there was Sohokji, so there was a group of new generation of children. Finally, they changed their minds, then we entered the new order era. Most of the young people eventually became technocrats who founded Indonesia, the development of Indonesia. That was the second break. The third break was actually in 1998.

In the 70s, there was also a turbulence. But it didn't get to a massive event like in 1998. So, 1998 gave birth to a generation that we see today as the digital generation in Indonesia. With the emergence of creative economy, startups, different aspirations about politics. Then, finally, COVID-19. COVID-19 has changed a lot

how to think, the generation constellation. The generation we now call Gen Z and Alpha.

Because the way we see parents is different, we see adults are different, we see different authorities, we see schools differently. Okay. Is it because it's a global event, there's a convergence between the same conflicts in one world, so we can say that Gen Z, Gen Alpha has the same traits all over the world?

- There are global events, but the way to respond is very local. - Okay. - Like during COVID, the events were global. But we see, for example, in Indonesia, there is a public kitchen, then the community is more sharing with each other, collectivity. Now, for young people in Indonesia, what's interesting is that they actually have a tendency from generation to generation, I also write in the generation back to the roots, the collectivity is high. Let's say in 1998, Indonesia could get out of the

One of them is the emergence of FOFO, small businesses that are filled with young people. And that is without the government's control. So it means that collectivity is pushing for a new economic movement in young people. The tendency is like that. When digitalization happened, the Twitter boom, Facebook and so on, it was also a community boom.

Boom, reuni-reuni. At the beginning, reuni anak SMP, TK, SMA. - Because they met on Facebook. - Because they met on Facebook. That doesn't happen in other countries. - In other countries, meeting on Facebook, there's no reuni? - Yes, there's no reuni. - That's right. Why are we like that? - There is a different local response because we have a different social DNA. When COVID happened, the DNA was a bit disturbed because the children were at home.

and then they have to face reality, and finally they're online.

Then when I finally went to school, this adaptation process was still ongoing, I saw. That's why the phenomenon of in-cell also appeared here. -In-cell? Internet celeb... -Involuntary celibate. -Involuntary celibate. -So, it's like a chronic jumble. -He lives on the internet. Because he lives on the internet, it becomes difficult to adapt, he can't engage with his opponent. Then finally all the social compensation goes back to the online world.

But the term incel is usually used as a derogatory remark, right? - Yes. - It's not? And now it's already in the formal academic term, incel. - Wow. - Yes. Because it's related to some radical young people at school.

So, initially because of inability to engage with friends, with other people of the same gender, and feel inferior, they eventually look for ideology where they feel superior. That's why there's a rise of neo-Nazi understanding in the online world. That's finally something that's adopted by children in sales. And there's already research on that.

- In Indonesia, is there a prevalence of that? Or because of our DNA, we are different, as the doctor said? - Yes. - Not even? - There was an incident yesterday at school where a child was building a bomb. And in the study,

...and I also read about it. But the problem is, when we talk about radicalism, it's not born out of political interest. But it's because there's a social DNA that's not well-sorted. So the solution is to create a space for young people. Online, they're present and active.

But the social spaces, the public spaces, must be filled with young people again. They must interact again, and learn to engage with their friends again.

So it happened because of COVID? I mean, the generation marker is COVID, so there's an excess like that. There's one interesting thing that is also in line with COVID, there's a boom of Weeaboo. Weeaboo, okay. I also like anime. But back then, if we watched anime, it wasn't as radical as it is now. So back then, maybe we could finish one episode.

Dragon Ball was only available for a year. - I see. - Because it was only available on TV or... - The comics were out of date. - Yes, the comics were out of date. Now, when there's streaming, everything is one piece.

Then we saw the demonstration yesterday, the flag is not the left flag, not the ideological flag, the flag is One Piece. It means that the impact of COVID is so great that the popular culture that is consumed together becomes a language of movement. It's a departure from Indonesia. Finally, the whole world uses One Piece.

- Okay. - And so big. So it means this is a critical moment that finally created a different narrative for this post-COVID generation. - Okay. This post-COVID generation

- How old is the demographic? - During the COVID-19, they went through important phases of life. For example, teenagers during COVID-19. - Okay. What are the major events during the teenage years? - Right. So, whatever we experience in adolescence will stay with us until we are adults. Whatever. So, if we like a certain brand during adolescence, let's say until 30s, it still tends to be similar or still the same.

Music is the same. So what happens in the teenage years will be quite deep until the next age. - And that was experienced by one generation of Christians. - Yes. - The generation's trait was because they tried to communicate and discuss the disorder with their peers.

- Right. - What's interesting is when we read the generation theory, it's based on psychology again. Carl Gustav Jung's theory about archetypes. So this interesting archetype, Carl Gustav Jung was inspired by the event in Seven Sleepers, in the Bible. In Islam, it's Ashabul Qafi. So young people who are close to their community, then finally meet.

Then he decided to go to the cave because he didn't want to be influenced by the decadence of the moral of the community. And finally he slept for hundreds of years. And from there, Kar Gustaf Jung believed that there was a so-called subconscious generation. That the generation was also driven by a subconscious.

So when Radit asked, "Why is this? Is it because of interaction or something?" Because there's a subconscious mind. So when we're in a crisis, an event that hits us mentally, we'll go back to the subconscious. So for example, One Piece, it finally became a subconscious that we need a heroic figure like the one in One Piece. Not as muscular as Goku in the era when we watched Dragon Ball. Not cool, not aesthetic.

But in the end, the spirit represents the subconscious of a generation. So, to understand the generation, we try to read where the subconscious is heading. Where is the subconscious now? If that's the case. Yes, every day we get bad news about the national economy. - Again. - Yes. So, we are in the phase, maybe the new critical moment.

So, there will be a long-term awareness. Hopefully, as I wrote in Kembali Ke Akar, the awareness will be positive. It means coming back to the community, thinking deeper, more critical, and finally more independent. That's the direction. Because back then, the founding fathers were the same. They experienced social and political pressure.

Then in 1917, they experienced the Spanish flu. - It's similar to the pandemic. - It's the pandemic. - Do you want to drink first? - Yes, I think so. Speaking of the pandemic. - So scared. - The crisis made the founding fathers finally decide to go back to themselves. That's the difference. - Okay. - Finally, they were very intensive in reading books.

and then it gave birth to big ideas. Now, if you say, "Oh, it's different. There was no social media back then, now there is social media." But if we go back to the era of founding fathers, the era of printing machines was just born. And they treated it like social media. In the end, Bung Karno and Bung Hatta were written in the day at the age of 12. Finally, the interaction of the young people was born there. Well, I think if we go back to that kind of subconscious,

The next generation will be cool. Big thoughts can be born. - If every generation is finally back to the roots, as we discussed earlier, the crisis of 1998 brought the generation of 1998, when the youth of 1998. Then we enter the youth of 6 years ago, entering the phase of COVID with all the internet speed.

- So, can each generation, especially the ones that are now fighting with us, be identified with one word to explain the generation's trait based on those principles?

For example, if the generation that is older than Covid is impatient, for example. The generation that is 98 is full of anxiety, for example, in life. Can we do that? Or is it true that all generations are the same? - It's different, of course. So, if the post-Covid generation, because it's still being studied, the problem is disconnection. So, it's connected online, but it's disconnected in the end with

with their parents, disconnected from what it means to be friends. There are also studies, for example, how to mean friends. Sometimes, friends become friends with friends in digital and followers. What does it mean to be friends? Disconnected from

What should an Indonesian be like? Even now there are problems in reading Indonesian maps. Back then, when I was a student, I was asked to draw maps using scales and so on. There are smart books, if you remember, Radit. There are too many curves, there are regional clothes, and so on.

Now it's not a general knowledge for young people because in the end it's a reference to their algorithm on TikTok or their browser. We used to have magazines for teenagers. We had a magazine for high school students who bought one class and borrowed it to read together. In the end, the content of the head of Indonesian youth culture is almost the same.

So, that's what I mean by disconnection. Because we can't connect with a wider crowd around us. With other young people in Indonesia. - What are the concrete implications? - It becomes more individualistic. That's why the problem that arises now is mental health. Why mental health? Because actually young people in Indonesia can function well if they are close to their friends. Their collective nature is alive.

Now the collective is not alive. - I don't think so. - Because it's wide but not deep. - Because it's not deep. - Many friends but the depth as a friend is not like what we experienced before. - Right. And that can be found in the current activities of the communities. For example, in our study at Youth Lab, the way to watch festivals is different. Because in the end it's different like before. The way of expression is to watch festivals, and finally to post it.

Then they come and only listen to familiar songs on TikTok. The rest of the artists are like, "Oh, I don't know other songs." It's different from enjoying the old generation's music. In postmodern, it's hyper-realistic. So what is enjoyed is not enjoyed. - That's right. - So the festival is not for

to watch festivals. But to get other meanings from the festival, that I can get tickets, that I am there. So there is a disconnection with what they want, with what they want to show. And that's the problem.

- It's a problem when you're building a community. - It's fun. Back in my era, when Britpop was booming, people were like, "Are you Oasis or Blur?" And that eventually led to the marker of what we wear. The brand consumption, "Are you wearing Adidas? That means you're this."

And that's how we finally connected to a wider community that likes the same thing. And they like it when we have knowledge about that culture, about the history of the band, about the album, and so on. Even now, the problem is, for example, songs. Songs are disconnected from the album, from the artist. So even if you just remember the title of the song, who sings it?

I don't know. So I do get connected but I also get disconnected from many things. Sometimes when we put together a playlist, it's not because we like the song from the playlist to be shared with people. But to show that I know this and give him a taste. Not necessarily that he likes it, but there is a sign.

symbolizes what kind of person I am, from the playlist I've arranged. Because they don't understand that, so the disconnection happens every day, right? - Actually, yes. That's why the term FOMO came up. It's now our own research. Because we choose something based on fear, right? That's not good, right?

- Okay. And if FOMO continues, there is a FOMO, the fear of better option. So we've been chasing something because we're afraid of being left behind by others. Then when we get it, are you happy? Well, the happiness is very short. Because in the end we see, oh there is a better option than this, after I browsed. There are people who finally achieve something that is better than me.

I was happy but it was short. I didn't last long. If it goes on like that, it's despair. I learned helplessness. I was helpless. I wasn't happy. That's what VODA is. Fear of doing anything. I decided to stay at home and just go.

That's a phenomenon that happened in China. And finally the government stepped in. So there was a device that was used by the special officers to pick up children who were homeless. But that's not one of the forms of protest against the culture that happened in China until Saturday, is it? Yes, that's one of them. But that's the phases from FOMO to FOBO to FODA. Okay, I understand. Because the meaning has become...

They also don't have meaning anymore because there are so many things that can be meant. - Yes. What I often say is that this problem is why I recently wrote a book about anxiety phisophat. Because disconnection is also an increase in disconnection with ourselves. Because we wake up in the morning, the first thing we take is a handphone. - Right. - Finally, if that happens, our mindset will go directly to the external world, not to the internal world.

- Right. Except if the wallpaper is this. - Oops. - This is interesting. From the research, learning, observation from Dr. Faisal, according to Dr. Faisal, how does the current generation love? - The current generation loves? - Yes. About love for the same couple. Is there

Are there any disconnections between a couple and what it means to be their boyfriend? What is it, Dr. Faisal? - This is interesting because we recently talked to friends of Malik D'Essential. There is a plan to create a song creation but based on research about maybe there is a shift in the meaning of love

In the era of Malik D'Essential, he wrote his first hit song, with how children nowadays mean love. - Wait a minute. What context did they talk about? Did they ask for help? - This is still on progress. So a few months ago we talked about it. The connection is about, maybe this actually means love has shifted.

the songwriter who wrote "Cinta" with the current version of "Alpha" is different. - What is the context for this? They want to make a song, so... - We are still brainstorming. - You are already at the beginning. Because my question will be at the end, how to use this generation's research

for us to do commercially. Marketing podcasts, marketing products. Because Dr. Faisal himself has a lot of clients from the company, if I'm not mistaken. To tap into this generation. But let's elaborate first. So, Malik came to ask for insights about the current generation of creators.

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to build a relationship becomes heavier. Because for the expression of love, it must also get validation on social media. Like for example, there are several postings of shooting a girl or celebrating her anniversary, one of the bioscopes is emptied, paid, then she gives flowers, then it's on the screen, "Happy Birthday." That's it, Radit.

That's a social pressure. And that becomes a new standard of expression of love. Which eventually becomes further away from the true substance of love. What does this mean? Does it make you unhappy? Oh, of course. There's a philosopher.

Alan de Batten, for example, discussed that. When you think that love is like what is shown in movies, where you can finally chase your partner in the airport, sing a song, and then kiss together, love is not like that. Love has many pities, many sacrifices. In the end, you have to lower yourself to be able to find synchronization with your partner. That's love.

- It's the school of life. - Yes, it is. - Okay, so... The current generation's challenge to love is to say that our partner is not enough. Because what we see is that other couples

...is better than what he has because of all the things he did. Yes, sir. In the end, social comparison... ...became a new standard for expressing love.

So for someone who is being loved, there will be a lot of questions in their head about why they are not like what I see. Yes. That's really hard. And today's problem is that there are problems with boys who are now stressed to have a relationship with women.

Because now, the demand for luxe maxing is in men. - What is luxe maxing? - To have symmetrical breasts, to have a six-pack, wide breasts, to be able to have branded clothes. Because in the past, luxe maxing was in women. Women must be able to have the same type of attraction so that men want to see it. - Okay.

Now it's the opposite. Now it's the opposite. Because of social media? Because of social media. This is a new culture in social media. Okay. If so, how do you deal with it? How do I deal with it? You have to go back to your own philosophy. It means you have to find your identity. You have to find your own authenticity. If our partner doesn't understand that?

- If our partner is someone who sees so many other people as greater than their partner? - By chasing the standards of our partner who only sees others, of course we will not be happy. - As an opponent of our partner, right? - Yes. This is what is called perfectionism on social media. Everything is all perfect. It means we forget to see ourselves that there are imperfect things that can actually be our ingredients to be happy too.

It's not that hard to be happy. You don't have to be perfect to be happy. So if you have a partner like that, it either helps you understand them... Yes. ...or if you don't find them, you end up breaking up with them. That's too pessimistic.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of time gap is interesting to be shown in popular works. Because maybe many people experience that. They feel it's not enough. Because I just released a song about that. I also have a project band called Timun Jelita. Then there's one song of ours called "Tak Cukup Untuk Mu"

If I'm being sarcastic, it's because I'm caught up in that confusion. The feeling of not having enough for your partner is amplified by social media these days. - We browse, for example, on Spotify, the top hits songs now. Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, all of them are heartbroken.

That's why there is a tendency to go back to the youth today, the alpha genes, to the bands of the 90s. Listen again to Artik Mongki, Oasis, and so on. Because seeing love in a different way, seeing life from an optimistic perspective. Dewa 19 was listened again, Kahitna met Mas Yofi yesterday, Kahitna, children now listen again because their love is more sweet.

- Oh, so listening to those songs is not because they are related, but because you want to escape. - Yes, because now it's too dark to see their love. A song that shows love in a pure, sweet, naive way, what is it in a song now? It's a bit difficult, right? - Yes. - Even if we open a streaming platform, watch a movie,

Whatever it is, Netflix or whatever, it's 80% dystopic and dark. Or buy, I just played, what is it called? PS5 game. - What? - James Bond. - Oh, that's a good review. - Yes, it's good. - It makes you a hitman, right? - Yes. All games nowadays are dark, mostly. There's no one that's playful like Mario, in the Mario Bros era. - Yes, Super Mario. - Very colorful, bright, and makes you happy mood.

I watched the last romantic comedy rom-com, The Drama by Robert Pattinson. It was really dark. - And rom-coms are now also out. There were wedding singers. - There were a lot. - So everyone sees the world as more utopian, more dystopian, more pessimistic. - Okay. This is the understanding from this generation that there is a tendency to see the world as more dystopian and so on.

- When a brand or a popular product comes, I mean a popular product is like a novel or something, does it mean that when it comes to development, they have to tap in to this gap or rather give them a place to run to a more beautiful time? Suppose there is a client who comes to Dr. Faisal, for example.

- An interesting example is this. In the film, we discussed this yesterday at Youth Lab in the office. When we watch TV series,

before I started streaming, it's all bright, positive, optimistic. - Yeah. - Yeah. In my time, there was Full House, Growing Pains, all of them were like, "Wow, the family is happy." - A sitcom. - A sitcom. If we want to watch something deeper, a bit darker, we go to the cinema. Right?

Now because all the things we watch at home are dark, we don't want to watch them in the cinema if they're not bright and good and make us feel good. So all the films that have a good aura, are in the cinema. The dark ones are at home. That can be a hint for the brand. So nowadays the mood is a bit...

It's a bit glowy and dark. - So the brand is not a tap-in. For example, I want to sell shoes. It means that the communication language is not a tap-in to their difficulties in life, but it gives them an escape by using my brand or by looking at my communication language. This will make you happy. - Yes, because in the last 4-5 years, all brands are in an intimidative position.

Intimidating like, "If you don't wear this, you'll look like you're at the bottom." We went to the mall, took pictures of models with low-key products. "You can't afford to buy me." So we were intimidated. "I bought this, I feel like I'm being lowered." Maybe at that time, everything was saturated. Where the brand gave hope again.

- Okay. - It gives hope. So it's like the 80s era when some brands like Coke, like Apple, for the first time gave branding hope. Change. So that's the key words of the current era. - Yes. That's the last time Apple made

Colorful laptops, Neo MacBooks, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe you've been there? - Yes, I've been there. The problem with today's brands is that they don't listen to research.

- What is the result of the research? - No, because now many branding managers ask AI. "How do I make the branding?" Well, often the research is because of that. Even the president, we know, Donald Trump, he didn't listen to any research at all. - Just want him. - Yes, so in the last few years, there are many strange things because it's not based on research. So maybe, hopefully this year, it will be back again.

- So the result of the research is that Indonesian young people are missing the lighter times. - That's right. - And it doesn't make the day heavier. - Yes. - Is that also what makes... Because I've been to the exhibition of the children of SMP in Block M. I didn't mean to go there. I was passing by. I was invited in. I was asked for advice.

I heard from people here that you are a very important person. He said that. Because he didn't know who I was. I heard it. He said, "You are very important." "No, I'm not that important." "Why?" "Can I ask for advice?" "Oh, sure." He invited me to a room.

This is my art project. I showed it to him. The art project was... ...he was walking around Semanggi. He was recording it with a very old cellphone camera. With an aesthetic from the early 2000s. At that time, one of his alumni came. They discussed it with me. The alumni asked, "Why do the current generation... ...want to go back to the past?" I said,

Do you know that I don't want to go back to the old days anymore? I want to go back to the old days with 3 cameras. The old days were good. The blurry images were good. Why do you want to go back to the old days? He can't answer. He's quiet.

But he was interested in living there. Is there a tendency to escape from that? - Yes, because all aesthetics,

...pop culture songs from the 80s and 90s are more hopeful. They are more optimistic. There are times when people are more optimistic. The technology is not at its peak yet. And it seems like technology will make us happier and more prosperous. Now we are living in the peak of technology. We just need AI to have a body.

- No, we're not that happy. This is the peak of technology. - Okay. Generation sign. Can AI be considered as a new generation sign? - It can be when AI reaches the agency phase. - It means life itself. - It doesn't need to be prompted. It knows that it wants to do something.

So, we don't need to be prompted. So, we already know what we want to do today. - So, now, it's not the culmination of a sign of integration? - Not yet. Not yet. Not yet because it's still an inter-process. And the way our young people use AI is also funny. In the end, it's just a meme.

- Not yet to the social change and so on. We need that to be important. - Yes, because in research, we need a certain competence to achieve it so that we can use AI optimally.

So if we don't understand the basics of a certain field, and we immediately jump to AI, it becomes not optimal. We don't understand anything. - Okay. As a generation research researcher, who studies a lot of young people, learns from history, etc. What is the most important thing with your children at home? What do you do? - Well, so...

- My son, Ali, if you watch this... - His name is Ali? - Yes, his name is Ali. - Okay. What does he do at home? - He becomes our subject experiment in science. - So he becomes an object of research? - An object of research. - So all of the theories of the generation are used? - Yes, almost. So for example, now he is 17 years old. - How old is he?

- A teenager, where the things that happen around him will haunt him until later. - Yes, this is a critical moment. - A critical moment. - Every time I go home, "What are you thinking about today?" There's always a piece of paper at home like, "Yes, we've filled your mind today." - That's right. - That's right. - There's a piece of paper at home? - There's a piece of paper that always explains the issues that are happening. Explain it, please. - Okay, is that from high school or did it happen at a critical moment?

I think since high school, it's been like that. Okay, so you read the research, and then, "I think I have to buy this app." Buy a pen and paper. Yes. Okay, buy a pen and paper, he comes, what's the conversation like? Why were you at school? Or what? Well, the conversation is, for example, why are you up so late today?

And then, "Oh, okay." "Okay, it's on social media." "What do you watch on social media?" - On social media? - Yes, playing social media. So, if you don't play that, it's not good. It's not enough for kids now. So, we have to give one course. This is our own session. - About... - So, it's written by you? - Yes, it is. - Okay, how is it? About the final glance, how you think and your life cycle. You've started to be nocturnal, for example.

What is the effect of being nocturnal? It affects your mental health, mood, and you can't interact well with other people. That's one of the reasons. - He understands that? - He can accept that. - Do teenagers usually rebel? - They rebel until they have no argument to counter.

I also had time to discuss financial freedom. So he has a lot of children. - Since you were 17? - Oh yes, since high school. In high school, I had a lot of peci at home. I like collecting peci. It was rented at school on Friday.

- Wow. - One PCG is 50,000. - So you have a business mind. - Yes, I have a business mind. - Cool. - Then? - Then he believed that he was the number two in school. Whatever the result, like a jockey game, etc. Then he discussed financial freedom. He wrote it down.

This is a real statement or utopia. - Can you really do it? - Can you really do it? In conclusion, there is no one who is really free economically. You still have to work. So until you can work, you have to go to school. That has to be separated. Because his argument is, if I have money, I don't need to go to school. That's why I chose to get money from now on.

- Oh, then we can think about it. "Wait a minute, that's too utopian for you." Because we never know what will happen in the future. - That's right. - I see. It's fun, right? Interesting, right? Does he become more critical when he's like that? - Our friends say so. - Our friends mean his father's friends? - Yes, my friends, his mother's friends. He tends to be critical.

But it's a plus or minus. It's critical today. Why is it a plus or minus? What's the minus? When I was in high school, we were often called to school because questions came up. - To the teacher. - Yes, to the teacher. Or they made a session with their friends. It hasn't arrived yet. FGD and their friends discussed a topic that schools don't approve of. Yes, for example, when I was in high school, suddenly they made a meeting to discuss

- The conspiracy theory. - When I was in elementary school. - So is it true? Is it true? - Yes. - If it's a healthy discussion, the teacher is not a problem. - Yes, but ...

So, it's a plus or minus. When he was in junior high school, he criticized his teacher that there would be a water crisis in the world. In the next year, in 2025, the teacher would say, "No, there's still a lot of water everywhere." Then, the teacher would debate. - In class? - In class, yes. But if I see it as

as a fun thing to do. Because Dayan Alar is critical and not just taking the authority from the authoritative figure, it's an extraordinary modality. - Good. Just learn when to place it, and it's delivered. Because not everyone is ready. - Oh, it means learning to communicate. - Communication. - Reading the context, right? - Well, that's also PR for children now. Because reading the context, read the room, right? So when you enter the room, you understand.

They're probably feeling down or they're serious or they're actually relaxing. Sometimes kids need to be given cues again. For example, my kid says, "Li, we're serious at home." "The economy is not good yet." So don't be like, "Ahh."

We are serious. So we have to give cues to our children. What is the situation? What are our emotions? - Okay. Inspired by Malik The Essentials who asked you. I also want to ask about comedy.

How do our society understand and consume comedy from the perspective of generation research? Is there any change in consumption patterns or how it is done? Actually, it's similar to the early works of Bang Radit.

- Serba Rennbem. Now, for example, there is Juicy Lucy Burger. - Oh, Aldi Taher. - Yes. Because the current generation of Alfa, we call it Asbun Kor. - Aldi Taher, you are in the research, Aldi Taher. Asbun Kor. So, as you say it. - Between emotions, humor relates to our emotions.

the expression and context are not connected. There is a video of a child with Alpha Gen, his family just died in a grave, and then they were throwing flowers. His father was in a cellar. It's very dark. But it describes how the context of the child with Alpha Gen sees today's humor. - It means there is a limit that makes them okay to be passed on.

Or is it a coping method? - The limits can't be seen. Because they usually see the context in short content, which we now often call brand road. That's funny and a bit addictive. And finally they try to apply it in their daily life and become a lot of fun when they're at school. - So the fun is sometimes not necessary. Usually the fun comes from what is it called?

- It's a break from expectations. What do we expect? But our expectations towards what is being said is broken, so it becomes funny. Now we don't need that anymore. - We don't need it. - It becomes a weirdness that we see. - It becomes weird, that's right. Like those AI creatures, Tung Tung Sahur. - What is that? I don't understand that. Why do people really like Tung Tung Sahur?

- Because it's weird? - Because it's weird. It's weird and we feel disturbed. We want to see it again. And that changes the way we see a lot of things. For example, we used to introduce children to this. There's a snake, this is a giraffe. Wow, that's funny. Giraffes have long necks. But for AI creatures, there's a giraffe and suddenly there's a bazooka in its hand. The legs are robots.

So a new creature category appeared in their heads. - And that's interesting? - For them? - For Alva, it's interesting. - Wow. I can't see the future. What kind of comedy will emerge from this generation?

Because it's very, very interesting. It's so unique for me to understand. How do you make them laugh? - Well, for Alpha children, especially, for example, there are many contents for children whose characteristics are ASMR. The balloon is broken, or there is a swing, it falls. So the things that make them feel comfortable are repetitive things, then it seems to be affected by their sensory.

And the weirdness has always been their source of curiosity. What is this? This is a bit weird.

- Okay. This is for podcasts. What is the consumption pattern of podcasts that 17-year-old children like Ali at home can easily follow? - If yesterday was more like a joke. - What does that mean? - Because there was a narration about financial freedom. - Oh, he likes to watch it. - The first M. But because some of his influencers are now in trouble, so the water is...

So, the narrative is not so popular anymore. - Oh, there's a crisis of trust. - Yes, there's a crisis of trust. So, now it's more about philosophical things that they can bring in daily life. Because there are many differences. This is interesting, for example, Ali's friends have brought their friends home.

"Yes, sure." When I got home, I asked, "What do you want to meet?" "Why? I have five friends, boys and girls." "Why?" "We want to have a consultation." "A consultation?" "Sure." "But it's just one consultation." "Just like Ms. Dukun." They sat down and said, "I'm overthinking." So this describes the issues of young people today. It's not far from overthinking. - Is that a consultation in...

This is the problem. What's their problem? - To Dr. Faisal because he knows the content he likes to discuss about the generation? - Yes, because he knows. Then, oh, it turns out this is your father. We're going to the house. Good children. So that's it. To be able to give answers to the daily problems. From being afraid of not being accompanied. If a girl is rejected, what should I do? Let her recover. - So a podcast like that is what they might be interested in? That's what it means? - Yes.

- Oh. - Yes. - Defeating your own thoughts. - Defeating your own thoughts. - Okay. - Wow, it's so exciting. So exciting. If anyone wants to know more about where Dr. Faisal can go,

- Ketemu Faisal on YouTube, on Youth Lab TV, and Podcast Kembali Ke Akar. - And Instagram is @ketemuvaisal. - Ketemu Faisal, yes. - This book was bought in 2024, if I'm not mistaken? - Yes, 2024. - This book is 2 years old. It's called "Ayona, Bengali Pola Asu Bagi Genderasi Digital". I heard there's a new book. - Yes, the title is "Vilsafat Kecemasan". - "Vilsafat Kecemasan". That's one podcast.

- I think many people feel the same way. - Yes. - About the daily anxiety. - Especially today's dollar. - Yes, it's really an anxiety. And for me it's interesting because it's the origin of comedy. - Yes. - That anxiety. It's fun. I don't have the book yet, I'll buy it later. It's just released this year? - Yes, it's just released 3 months ago. - 3 months ago, "The Sadness of Anxiety". Thank you, Dr. Faisal, for coming here. Thank you to everyone who has watched.