Navigating The Timeline of Indonesia’s Cool Young Figures
Being “cool” is important for youths who are in a phase of self-discovery. “Cool” here refers to attitude, personality and the environment in which they hang out. In various periods, there were certain figures who were considered to embody the characteristics of cool for the youth of that generation.
The characteristics of these cool figures differ from time to time, as well as their hangouts. This is a navigation of cool youth figures and their hangouts.
Nineties Era
The 1990s in Indonesia were marked by political turbulence due to the New Order regime’s leadership. Major events, driven by protests against the authoritarian rule of President Soeharto, shaped the societal landscape of this era. Additionally, economic instability further influenced the behavior and attitudes of people during this time.
However, Eastern philosophies of harmony, spirituality, and togetherness remained guiding principles for society during this era. As a result, the cool youth character that emerged in this period was rebellious, macho, and a bit of a bad boy, yet still possessed a religious side.
Boy from the film Catatan Si Boy became the epitome of a cool young person during this era. Boy’s character, which was brave, macho, a bit of a bad boy, and possessed a religious side, resonated strongly with the youth. Additionally, Boy’s involvement in romantic relationships and his interactions with the opposite sex highlighted typical youth characteristics.
The cool hangout spots for young people during this era included coffee shops, school cafeterias, and youth organization headquarters. They would gather to discuss the future of the country and plan rebellious actions against the government regime. This critical attitude towards their surroundings was also a characteristic found in Boy.
2002 – 2006 Era
Four years before this period, Indonesia experienced significant upheaval known as the Reformasi. The authoritarian leadership of Soeharto came to an end, and the country was beginning a new chapter in its national politics. Before the Reformasi, the Asian financial crisis struck, severely crippling Indonesia’s economy.
These significant upheavals fostered a brave character among youth. Additionally, this era saw a period of tranquility due to the inception of democratic politics in Indonesia and the gradual recovery of the economy.
Consequently, the youth of this era were also characterized by their intelligence and their engagement in numerous activities as a form of freedom of expression. “Gaul” became the term for cool young people of this time.
Rangga from the film Ada Apa Dengan Cinta became the face of youth in this era. His brave, intelligent, romantic, and widespread recognition made him the embodiment of “gaul.”
The cool hangout spots for youth during this time were coffee shops and community basecamps. Cool young people were also often seen at events, whether demonstrations or festivals. Consequently, this era saw the rise of bands that would later become well-known, such as ST12, D’Masiv, Sore, Kangen Band, Seringai, and Pee Wee Gaskins.
2007 – 2013 Era
During this era, there were no significant direct political upheavals in Indonesia. However, the global financial crisis of 2008 indirectly affected the country. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s policies were relatively effective, mitigating the impact so that it wasn’t as severe as the 1998 financial crisis.
Despite the government’s relatively effective handling of the financial crisis, media coverage of the issue remained intense in national media outlets. This led to a sense of pessimism among Indonesians regarding their economic future. The situation was exacerbated by the increase in gasoline prices in May 2008, rising from Rp. 4,500 to Rp. 6,000.
The findings of Hosein and McGregor (2008), based on their study from 2009-2010 across 6 countries affected by the 2008 financial crisis, suggest that media coverage of the financial crisis resulted in the emergence of a moral panic narrative. This led to heightened stress among the public, causing them to behave more aggressively compared to times of economic stability.
The cool youth characters that emerged in this era were characterized by their bravery, aggressiveness, and high solidarity. They were often referred to as “pentolan“.
Figures such as Genji from the film Crows Zero (2007) and Jarot from Serigala Terakhir (2009) became the faces of youth during this time. Their impact was marked by an increase in school gang fights (tawuran) across the country.
The hangout places for cool young people in this era are internet cafes, school canteens, nightclubs, and community basecamps. Internet cafes are where they dig for information about the world with typical search keywords “ter- or most in the world”.
2014 – 2019 Era
The political background of this era was marked by numerous upheavals of war in the Middle East and the 212 demonstrations to imprison Ahok for the case of surah Al-Maidah ayat 51.
Prior to these events, according to Dr. Muhammad Faisal in the book Pasar dan Karier Kembali ke Akar there was a fluctuation in the hijrah phenomenon which began in Bandung in 2014 and was confirmed by the formation of the Shift hijrah youth movement in 2015.
In addition, Dr. Muhammad Faisal also noted that in this era there has been a fading of the youth narrative with the closure of youth media. MTV, kawanku Magazine, Mtv Trax, Hai Magazine, Go Girl, and tabloid Bola are youth media that died between 2015 and 2018. He further explained that the narrative of cool youth has shifted from individuals to groups.
However, there have been attempts to revive the narratives of the cool youth of the 90s and 2000s that focus on the individual. Examples such as the figure of HOS Tjokroaminoto in the movie Tjokroaminoto: Sang Guru Bangsa (2015), Dono, Kasino, and Indro in Warkop DKI Reborn 1 (2016), Fahri in Ayat-Ayat Cinta 2 (2017), and Dilan in Dilan 1990.
Efforts to revive the narrative of cool youth of the past have been less successful in becoming the figure of cool youth of this era, except for the figure of Dilan. His characters are brave, badboy, romantic, smart, involved in the youth community, and good looking in accordance with the spirit of this era.
The hangouts of cool youth in this era are coffee shops, community basecamps, nightclubs, and youth religious study places. Nightclubs are the difference between cool youth in urban areas or commonly called “Anak Skena” and rural areas where there are no nightclubs in the area.
2020 Era – Post Covid-19 Pandemic
The biggest political backdrop in this era is the Covid-19 pandemic that has frozen the world. Many social and cultural orders were reshaped to adapt to the pandemic conditions. Life in the online world becomes a new way of socializing, both in urban and rural areas.
The characters of cool youth in this era are those who are active and exist in the online world, even though they are not widely known in the real world. The openness of information sources and the large number of social networks due to online life make it difficult to determine one figure of the cool youth of this era.
Cool youths are categorized according to their hobbies and job preferences. But being popular in the online world is the main formula for becoming a figure of cool youth in this era.
Figures like Jerome Polin became the figure for cool, well-educated young people. Jefri Nichol is a figure for urban bad boy youth. Lemon ikhsan is a cool figure for e-sport enthusiasts. There are many more cool young faces in other fields, such as Tsana in romance, Rian Fahardhi in politics, Arhan in soccer, and others.
The hangout place for cool young people in this era is their own home because of the social distancing rules due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet when Indonesia declared itself free from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2023, offline public spaces began to fill up again.
In that condition until now, coffee shops, festivals, nightclubs, and parks have become hangouts for cool youths, although many cool youths continue to hang out and create in their own homes.
In light of the previous arguments, there are some characteristics that are almost always present in cool young people in every era, such as having a romantic side, being smart, and appreciating togetherness..
While the hangout places that are almost always exist are coffee shops and community basecamps. From this it can be seen that romance, education, and social skills are important indicators in the eyes of Indonesian youth.