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Tri Budi Haryoko. (2024). The Importance Of Character Education In
Instilling Pancasila Values for Millennial Generation. Journal Eduvest. 4
(7): 6047-6054
2775-3727
https://greenpublisher.id/
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTER EDUCATION IN
INSTILLING PANCASILA VALUES FOR MILLENNIAL
GENERATION
Tri Budi Haryoko, Encep Syarief Nurdin, Yadi Ruyadi, Tri Suhartati
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
Email: tribudiyoko71@gmail.com, encep.sn@upi.edu,
yadiruyadi016@upi.edu, trisuhartati65@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Millennial generation as a new generation that emerges as a pioneer of information
technology development in the era of 4.0. They are called the millennial generation because
they were born at the end of the 20th century (between 1990 and 2001). The millennial
generation, living in the millennium era, is heavily influenced by lifestyles shaped by social
media as a societal trend in the 21st century. Many potential social vulnerabilities will arise
due to cultural and behavioral changes that occur in the millennium era. The widespread
use of smartphones, internet access, and social media today enables quick and easy access
to information, which has its benefits and advantages, but also impacts by facilitating
access to negative content that affects behavior not in line with the culture and noble norms
of the Indonesian nation. Character education, as a model of education that strengthens
the understanding of Pancasila ideology, is essential in fortifying and equipping the
millennial generation. With systematically implemented character education, it is hoped to
maintain attitudes and behaviors so that they always preserve the customs, cultural
heritage, and noble values of the Indonesian nation in facing the massive technological
developments in the current millennium era.
KEYWORDS
Character Education, Pancasila Values Cultivation, Millennial Generation
INTRODUCTION
The development and progress of information technology today, also known
as the digitalization era, has brought changes in all fields, especially in the field of
education, which has had a very broad impact on various human activities, espe-
cially in facing the dynamics of increasingly advanced life. In an effort to meet
various complex needs and competitions, the world of education needs to adjust to
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these technological developments, so that it can have an influence on shaping
someone's character. Looking at the profile of the current younger generation, com-
monly referred to as the Millennial Generation, is a reflection of the quality of the
nation and the country in the future. Therefore, strengthening and equipping the
character of this generation is important at this time.
The character of a person formed since childhood is influenced by genetics
and their surrounding environment. In his writing, Muhammad Hidayat (2019), as
quoted by Hayaturrahmi, said that maturity takes place ceremonially according to
the culture of each region. The process of character formation, whether realized or
not, will affect how the individual views themselves and their environment, which
will be reflected in their daily behavior.
According to Ryan and Bohlin (1999), character is a pattern of someone's
behavior. A person with good character understands goodness, likes goodness, and
does goodness. Someone whose behavior is in accordance with moral principles is
called noble character. One way to realize this is by strengthening the identity and
character of the nation through education. This effort aims to shape and build stu-
dents who are devout to the One God.
Currently, the term millennial generation is indeed familiar. The term origi-
nates from "millennials" coined by two American historians and writers, William
Strauss and Neil Howe, in their book titled "Generations," as quoted by Reynaldi
Satrio Nugroho (2016). The Millennial generation or Generation Y is also com-
monly referred to as the "generation me" or "echo boomers." Literally, there is no
specific demography to determine this generation group. Experts classify it based
on the beginning and end years. The classification of Generation Y is formed for
those born between 1980 - 1990, or in the early 2000s, and so on.
According to Don Tapscott in the book "Grown Up Digital," as quoted by
Fransisca Jallie Pattiruhu (2022), he said that in the future there will be three gen-
erations that will influence human life: Generation Y (born 1981-1994), Generation
Z (born 1995-2010), and Generation Alpha (born 2011-2025). Generation Y is a
generation that is about to end and is the parents of Generation Z and Generation
Alpha. Generation Z, also called the e-generation, is a generation proficient in using
information technology and various artificial intelligence, multitasking, lacking in
verbal communication, desiring everything to be fast and practical, tending towards
egocentrism and individualism, and tending to undervalue processes. Then, what is
called Generation Alpha is individualistic, highly mobile, unconcerned about pri-
vacy, able to break through boundaries, discovering many new things, and always
experiencing change. (GMKI, 2017). From the characteristics of Generation Z and
Generation Alpha, Tapscott refers to them as the millennial generation. (Lalo, 2018)
The role of the millennial generation in changing the structure of society to-
day is very influential. A survey institution, Ericsson, in 2016 released 10 Consumer
Lab Trends to predict various consumer desires. In its report, Ericsson is based on
interviews with 4,000 respondents spread across 24 countries in the world (Repub-
lika Data Center, 2016). Among the 10 trends is special attention to the behavior of
the millennial generation. It is mentioned in the report that technological products
will follow the lifestyle of the millennial generation. As stated by Ericsson Indone-
sia's President Director Thomas Jul, behavioral shifts also change in line with
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technology. New technological products will emerge as accommodations for tech-
nological changes," he said.
The existence of the millennial generation is also marked by the increasing
use of information technology known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This
technology is what makes the current millennial generation, or what can also be
called the internet generation, rely on social media as a place to obtain information.
Currently, social media has become the primary platform for reporting and as a
news source for the public.
The massive use of social media today has a significant impact on social life.
Along with the rapid development of information technology, in reality, we are
faced with a dilemmatic condition between the benefits and disadvantages that
arise. On one hand, the abundance of information availability and easy public ac-
cess can broaden the community's insight into the current conditions of their lives.
But on the other hand, many are concerned that this information openness will cause
problems in national life, as quoted from M. Rodinal Khair Khasri (2021).
One serious problem currently related to the rampant use of social media is
the emergence of hoaxes (fake news) due to the lack of literacy (digital literacy).
Hoaxes are part of a significant digital problem that should not be underestimated.
Several hoax cases on social media have the potential to cause disintegration in
society, and this seems to escape the attention of society, especially for social media
users, most of whom are Millennials. And the situation will be even more worrying
when they, as a millennial community, are easily exposed or influenced by hoax
information they receive through social media.
Based on the above description, the author considers the importance of char-
acter education, which is also expected to provide reinforcement for the millennial
generation in facing various life changes as a result of current information technol-
ogy developments. Therefore, character education based on Pancasila as the basic
ideology of the Indonesian state is expected to have an influence in improving, re-
pairing, changing attitudes and skills, as well as behaviors to shape personality for
oneself and society in the current 4.0 Revolution era.
Based on the above description, the author will formulate the issues to be
discussed:
1. What are the challenges facing Indonesia's millennial generation in facing
the 4.0 revolution era?
2. How to instill Pancasila values as character education for the millennial gen-
eration?
3. How important is character education in instilling Pancasila values for the
millennial generation?
Literature Review
In the current era of globalization, technological and informational advance-
ments are rapidly evolving. As we all know, Indonesia is currently in the midst of
the Industry 4.0 era, a term that is not unfamiliar, because in reality, without us
realizing it, we have already been engaged in most of the key characteristics of the
Industry 4.0 era, namely the advancement of technology and internet usage in daily
Tri Budi Haryoko, Encep Syarief Nurdin, Yadi Ruyadi, Tri Suhartati
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activities such as shopping, learning, eating, and even payments, all of which can
be done through digital applications, as quoted from Fransisca Jallie Pat-
tiruhu(2022).
The question arises, what is the Fourth Industrial Revolution? The Fourth In-
dustrial Revolution is an effort that enables industry players to allow computers to
connect and communicate with each other, ultimately leading to decision-making
without the involvement of human physical presence, i.e., a combination of the real
and virtual worlds, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the Internet of Systems. Ac-
cording to the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, as quoted from the Grame-
dia website, the understanding of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a comprehen-
sive transformation of all aspects of production that occur in the industrial world
through the integration or connectivity between digital technology and the internet
with conventional industry.
This is consistent with the opinion of Schlechtendahl et al. (2015), who define
the industrial revolution as a phase that emphasizes the speed of information avail-
ability, i.e., an industrial environment where all entities (resources) can always be
connected and easily share information with each other.
Yahya explained in (Fadilah, 2019), as quoted by Fransisca Jallie Pattiruhu
(2022), that the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings many changes in human life,
namely:
A. Fundamentally changing the way humans operate and significantly influenc-
ing the world of work.
B. Bringing positive effects such as effectiveness and efficiency of resources and
production costs, albeit impacting employment fields.
C. The Fourth Revolution requires a workforce with skills in digital literacy,
technology literacy, and human literacy.
Throughout 2016, several predictions made by Ericsson proved to be true.
One of them is the increasingly popular Streaming Native behavior. The number of
teenagers consuming video streaming services is unstoppable. On average, they
spend about three hours a day in front of mobile device screens. Four years later,
this figure soared to 20 percent. The time allocated for streaming watching has also
tripled. These facts prove that millennial generation behavior cannot be separated
from watching online videos. In accessing significant events, such as terrorist bomb
attacks, society today relies entirely on social media to get the latest information
about an event.
Character education is a form of human activity in which actions that educate
are intended for the next generation. The purpose of character education is to con-
tinuously shape individual self-improvement and train self-abilities towards a better
life. Character education is a system of naming character values that include com-
ponents of knowledge, awareness or willingness, and actions to implement these
values, both towards Allah SWT, oneself, the environment, and the nation.
Thomas Lickona (1992), as cited by Ace Suryadi, stated that character edu-
cation is a powerful tool to promote a more democratic collective life in society.
Democracy reflects the quality of human life formed by character that grows in
every individual in collective life. In society, everyone has a commitment to moral
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foundations in collective life, such as respecting their own and others' rights, obey-
ing norms and legal rules, participating in life, caring about the common good, and
so on.
RESEARCH METHOD
In this article, the author employs the method of literature review. This
method is used to collect and analyze various references or literature related to the
situation and the importance of character education in instilling Pancasila values
for the millennial generation in Indonesia. The literature used in this article includes
scholarly journals, books, research reports, and articles from mass media and the
internet. After relevant literature is gathered, the author conducts data analysis and
compiles descriptions regarding the situation and issues related to the behavior of
the millennial generation in Indonesia, as well as efforts that can be made to
strengthen Pancasila values.
The literature review method is used because it allows the author to obtain
comprehensive and up-to-date information on the topic at hand. It also enables the
author to examine the phenomenon of millennial dynamics from various perspec-
tives and disciplines. Additionally, the literature review method can be conducted
at relatively low cost and can be done remotely. By using the literature review
method, this article can provide a more comprehensive overview of the current sit-
uation and issues regarding the behavior of the millennial generation, as well as
recommendations and efforts that can be made to strengthen Pancasila character
values.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The development of national character can be achieved through the develop-
ment of an individual's character. However, because humans live within certain so-
cial and cultural environments, the development of an individual's character can
only be done within the relevant social and cultural context. This means that cultural
and character development can occur in an educational process that does not detach
learners from their social environment, community culture, and national culture.
The social environment and national culture are embodied in Pancasila, so cultural
and character education involves developing Pancasila values in learners through
education of the heart, mind, and body. Character education represents a new trans-
formative process in both formal and non-formal education, aimed at accelerating
the achievement of each learner's aspirations for success in both worldly and spir-
itual endeavors.
In Article 1 of the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the
Republic of Indonesia Number 20 of 2018 concerning the Strengthening of Char-
acter Education in Formal Education Units, it is explained that Character Education
Strengthening is an educational movement under the responsibility of educational
institutions to strengthen learners' characters through the harmonization of heart,
feelings, thoughts, and physical activities, with the involvement and cooperation
Tri Budi Haryoko, Encep Syarief Nurdin, Yadi Ruyadi, Tri Suhartati
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between educational institutions, families, and communities as part of the Indone-
sian National Mental Revolution Movement.
The importance of character education is emphasized by Daniel Goleman in
his book "Emotional Intelligence" (Goleman, 2000), which discusses multiple in-
telligences. Goleman explains that emotional and social intelligence in life accounts
for 80%, while intellectual intelligence only accounts for 20%. Therefore, character
education becomes paramount in education, ensuring that school outputs become
individuals of character, beneficial to religion, nation, and state. In facing life's chal-
lenges, humans often find that intellectual intelligence (IQ) alone is insufficient;
emotional intelligence (EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ) are also required. Teach-
ing emotional and spiritual intelligence cannot be achieved solely through cognitive
means, as with intellectual intelligence. One of the best ways to teach affective as-
pects is by providing exemplary role models through teachers in the school envi-
ronment.
Character education not only promotes the formation of positive behavior in
children but also enhances their cognitive quality. Character building requires par-
ticipation and responsibility from parents, society, and the government. According
to FW Foerster, there are four basic characteristics of character education:
1. Character education emphasizes every action guided by normative values,
where it is expected that generations can respect existing norms and use
them as guidelines for behavior within society.
2. There is coherence or building self-confidence and courage, so that individ-
uals become firm and unwavering, unafraid of risks in new situations.
3. There is autonomy, where individuals internalize and practice external rules
until they become personal values. Therefore, individuals can make deci-
sions independently without being influenced or pressured by others.
4. There is firmness and loyalty. Firmness is the resilience in realizing what is
deemed good, and loyalty is the basis of respect for chosen commitments.
The goal of character education is to cultivate attitudes that lead the millennial
generation towards progress without conflicting with prevailing norms, aiming to
develop the potential of learners to become morally upright individuals who are
faithful, pious, knowledgeable, competent, creative, independent, democratic citi-
zens, and responsible. According to Sunarti (2005), character education for individ-
uals aims to: recognize various good human characters, interpret and explain vari-
ous characters, demonstrate examples of character behavior in daily life, and un-
derstand the good aspects of implementing character behavior.
Sulistyowati (2012) suggests several important reasons for implementing
character education, including the fact that character is essential for the nation. The
loss of character will result in the loss of the nation's future generation. Character
acts as a rudder and strength, ensuring the stability of the nation. Character does not
develop naturally but must be built and nurtured to create a dignified nation.
The importance of instilling character values in the millennial generation, as
the nation's future leaders, cannot be overstated. Therefore, schools play a strategic
role. Furthermore, teachers, as the frontline of education, significantly influence the
formation of learners' characters. The implementation of character education in
schools can be supported by all members of the academic community, including
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principals, vice principals, teachers, and all other school stakeholders. Character
values that need to be fostered in students include religiousness, honesty, discipline,
hard work, creativity, communicativeness, environmental concern, responsibility,
curiosity, and cooperation. The success of character education is reflected in
changes in students' attitudes towards school regulations.
Thus, character education is a system for instilling noble personality values,
encompassing relationships with oneself and the environment. The goal of charac-
ter education is to create intelligent, creative, morally upright individuals with pos-
itive personalities who are capable of managing and contributing to the building of
a great and dignified nation.
CONCLUSION
Based on the discussion above, the writer can conclude that:
1. A person's character formed since childhood is influenced by genetics and
their surrounding environment.
2. The process of character formation affects how an individual perceives
themselves and their environment, which is reflected in their daily behavior.
3. Character education is a system for instilling noble personality values, en-
compassing relationships with oneself and the environment.
4. The goal of character education is to create intelligent, creative, morally up-
right individuals with positive personalities capable of managing and con-
tributing to the building of a great and dignified nation.
5. The millennial generation, as a new generation emerging as pioneers in the
development of information technology in the 4.0 era, plays a significant
role in the current societal changes.
6. The role of the millennial generation marks the growth of information tech-
nology usage known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
7. This technology has led today's millennial generation, also known as the
internet generation, to rely on social media as a source of information.
8. One serious issue today related to the widespread use of social media is the
emergence of hoaxes (fake news) due to the lack of digital literacy skills.
Hoaxes are a significant part of the digital problem that should not be un-
derestimated.
9. Character education, as a model of education that strengthens the under-
standing of Pancasila ideology, is essential in shaping and equipping the
millennial generation.
REFERENCES
Daniel Goleman, Kecerdasan Emosional , Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, 2000
Don Tapscott, Grown up digital : how the net generation is changing your world.
Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, 2013.
Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Nomor 20
Tahun 2018 tentang Penguatan Pendidikan Karakter Pada Satuan Pendidikan
Formal, Berita Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 2018 Nomor 782.
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Fransisca Jallie Pattiruhu, Hakekat Pendidikan Pancasila Bagi Generasi Milenial,
Jurnal Soshumdik Volume 1, No. 3, September 2022.
M. Rodinal Khair Khasri, Pancasila Dalam Praksis Sosial: “Manusia Pancasila”
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Pendidikan Tambusai Volume 6 Nomor 2 Tahun 2022.
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The Importance Of Character Education In Instilling Pancasila Values For Millennial
Generation