For my cultural journal this week, I’m going to talk about the culture and lives of young Indonesian people! I learned that Indonesian teenagers listen to a lot of Western music, especially Pop and RAP, which sounds fairly similar to most American teenagers. Naturally, Indonesian teenagers are frequently at school most of the day, from 7am to 3pm or 5pm. I think that a 7-5 school day sounds terribly long, but perhaps this only occurs at boarding schools or very competitive private schools. Indonesian teens also love to try new foods and blog or vlog about it on social media. I think this is what American teens do as well? To be fair, I find this trend a little silly. I would much rather eat my food while it is hot than brag about it to other people… But I am excited to try new Indonesian foods, especially when eating out in Indonesia is so cheap in comparison to America! It sounded like a lot of trends in American/Western teen culture are also becoming trends in Indonesian teen culture, such as outspokenness and individualism, fashion choices, and the consumption of alcohol and drugs. Although I appreciate some of these aspects in American culture, I worry that about the preservation of more traditional Indonesian culture. If western culture is always the big fad, I wonder how much cultural diversity we lose through the generations. That being said, culture is forever a shifting, inconcrete, and flexible concept. Trying to preserve a specific culture and way of life, after it becomes outdated, sometimes just feels like fighting natural and normal processes. I’m not sure how to feel about this entire concept, except for very conflicted. Below, I have attached some of my own writing in Indonesian, comparing and reflecting on the culture and lifestyle of Indonesian teenagers.
Remaja Indonesia tidak terlihat berbeda daripada remaja amerika. Aku juga suka mendengar
musik, tapi saya tidak suka RAP atau Pop! Kebanyakan orang amerika lakukan text untuk
pembicaraan, tapi aku lebih suka Whatsapp karena lebih mudah. Namun, saya tidak memahami
bagaimana internet mereka punya aturan. Apa yang aturan ini?
Remaja Indonesia juga suka pergi ke tempat makan baru. Aku suka mencoba makanan baru, tapi
aku tidak suka menghabiskan terlalu uang. Aku lebih suka pergi ke taman atau mendaki, karena
tidak perlu uang. Namun, saya berpikir bahwa makanan indonesia lebih murah daripada
makanan amerika, jadi uang tidak masalah. Remaja indonesia mengatakan apa yang mereka berpikir. Saya bertanya-tanya jika ini berubah ketika mereka menjadi dewasa!
Replies
Hi Madelyn, I really enjoyed your post and I think I learned a lot about young adult Indonesian culture! I think it's definitely interesting how much Indonesian youth culture borrows from American and Western culture. It does make me a little sad, because I kind of think it's rooted in Eurocentric standards, but regardless I think you recognize that trying to preserve culture is a difficult process that feels like an uphill battle sometimes.
Hi Madelyn! I am really glad that I can have such an opportunity to know more about Indonesian culture by reading your cultural post! I knew the length of the school day is really different all around the world. I went to a private boarding school in China, the class is usually from 7 am to 6 pm too. We also need to take class after dinner until 10pm. So I think it is really interesting how schools' schedules are really different. You also mention teens blog and vlog food on social media. I think teens from all around the world do it now because it is also a common phenomenon in China.
I can also not imagine have a really intense school day, do they also have to take an SAT or ACT like other American teenagers? The concept of taking photos of your phone is hard to understand, however, I enjoy taking pictures of my food since you never know when you'll go back to that restaurant it's a mini memory. I am very impressed with your writing! I hope you receive the scholarship you are applying for!
It made me laugh when you said, "I think American teens do this as well?". I would agree, I think they do. Unfortunately or fortunately, or neither, I think this happens all over the world, this American affect on other cultures as we've seen on our travels abroad. Many people young and old can list off American celebrities, current events, and cultural items to us in English while we may be at a loss to do the same.
Hi Madelyn, I enjoyed your post on the culture and lives of young Indonesian people. It seems like a lot of eastern Asian countries tend to flock toward western culture. This definitely was the case when I lived in Korea around ten years ago... However, it looks like that has flipped as Kpop and Korean dramas gain popularity internationally.