In 2020, the Education team at Wikimedia Indonesia released a module titled “Don’t Cite Wikipedia!” to address the most frequently asked questions about Wikipedia from the general public in Indonesia. The goal was to provide clear information about how Wikipedia works, especially in academic contexts. We designed the module not only for educators but also for a general audience by delivering it in a friendly and informal tone to make it more relatable. Furthermore, we collaborated with our local communities to translate the content into eight local languages, making it even more inclusive and accessible. But as we continued our work, we realized that information consumption habits—especially among young people—were rapidly changing. Static content, no matter how informative, was no longer enough. We needed to keep up with how young people learn and interact with information on social media through engaging and visual content.
Understanding our audience: gen Z & social media
Indonesia is a country where visual content thrives. From memes to reels, short-form videos dominate young people’s digital spaces. Our insights from Instagram confirmed this: over 40% of our followers are aged 18–24, and their favorite type of content? Short, snappy videos! These preferences inspired us to experiment with new formats that could better connect with this demographic.
To reach this audience more effectively, we needed to do more than invite them to learn about Wikipedia—we had to meet them where they already were and speak their language. That meant getting creative, being relevant, and showing that Wikipedia is for everyone.
#JadiTahu Series – Now You Know
To bridge that gap, we launched a short video series called #JadiTahu (translated as Now You Know), aimed specifically at answering common questions youth have about Wikipedia. These videos are about a minute long and designed for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, where short-form content thrives.
Our first three videos focused on questions we hear all the time:
- Why can’t I cite Wikipedia?
- What should I do if I spot a mistake on Wikipedia?
- Why does Indonesian Wikipedia have less content?
Each video acts as a hook—sparking curiosity and making it easy for young viewers to learn more about Wikipedia in only a minute. You can also find these videos on Wikimedia Commons, so they can be reused, remixed, and shared widely!
In addition to #JadiTahu, we’ve also adapted the #AWikiMinute video series in Indonesian context by tailoring the content and language to make sure that it resonates with our local audiences. Our work to engage young Indonesians with Wikipedia is just beginning. We believe that making Wikipedia more accessible and relatable is key to empowering the next generation to become not just consumers of knowledge—but contributors as well. Through initiatives like #JadiTahu, we hope to foster curiosity and a deeper understanding of how knowledge is built and shared in Wikipedia.
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