Everything in the world we live in today feels increasingly fast. All activities mediated by technology can be done in seconds: selecting goods on marketplaces, booking tickets, using government services, sending money, buying food, applying for jobs, performing tasks, etc.

Exposure to information and access makes us psychologically feel like everything must be fast; whether it’s climbing the career ladder, starting a business to success, building personal and romantic relationships, starting a family, having children, or even self-actualization.

Speed, or rushing, seems to be the common norm. As a result, we glorify those who achieve things faster: becoming CEOs at a young age, buying a house in their 20s, having a billion before 30, politicians labeled Gen Z, millennial vice presidents. So those who take too long are considered bad and fail.

In reality, there’s nothing wrong with speed in the process. All good things are better when done quickly. The problem is when everything becomes rushed; It makes us unable to enjoy the process, it’s all rushed, and most importantly, it becomes a psychological burden that can lead to stress and depression.

We need to cultivate a conscious and enjoyable process from now on. At work, there are numerous interactions with colleagues, upgrading processes, miscommunications, missed targets, and much more. But the most important thing is that we move forward, learn new things, and acquire new skills.

In business, we face the shame and embarrassment of selling our products, the failure and humiliation of failing to meet order deadlines, the unsold and expired stock in the warehouse, the business website being infected with online gambling malware — but we enjoy the process, fixing each one and growing.

Similarly, in romantic relationships, family and social relationships, even in our relationship with God; everything requires a process that can be enjoyed. Without enjoying it all, the journey becomes difficult, or we may reach our destination without meaning, without happiness, without satisfaction.

From personal observation and experience, men often grow up obsessed with and fantasizing about becoming a hero. They desire to be rewarded for their hard work, recognized for their sacrifices, respected, needed, and seen as meaningful.

For example, receiving recognition for small achievements at work, contributions to the family, or successfully fixing a broken water line at home, a leaking roof, a broken motorcycle, and much more.

Imaginations of being a hero to one’s children, an idol to one’s wife, a source of pride for one’s parents, a role model for the surrounding community, a role model at work, or a leader in one’s religious community. This state of mind is often called “Superhero Syndrome.”

However, over time, such dreams often fade, replaced by the disappointments, failures, and despair that often occur. They also face the reality that life is truly harsh, and that the ideal of a hero exists only in fiction and fantasy films.

Failure can leave one feeling exhausted, withdrawn, and a loss of interest in changing for the better. The pressure to always be strong, always win, always look good makes men forget one important thing: their authenticity as human beings.

This loss of authenticity often results in them becoming like watermelons: green on the skin, red on the inside — looking good on the outside, rotten on the inside. Perfect in public, corrupt in private. The case of a public figure (politician) who is currently in the news is an example.

Life is never perfect, nor does God demand perfection. Accepting our shortcomings, celebrating our failures, and recognizing our inherently lowly nature are the best choices.

While we can focus on our core responsibilities and skills, and those closest to us, we can forget the rest and let the world work for them.

Let “Perfect” remain a cigarette brand.

In our 30s, some of us face a complex mix of mental fatigue, anxiety, and even physical symptoms. Even after sleeping, our heart rate increases, and our blood pressure rises. Physical fatigue does begin to set in, especially if we have an unhealthy lifestyle.

The causes: the pressure of work responsibilities increases, social expectations intensify, business demands stability and growth, and personal life demands complete presence.

We become trapped in an intense work rhythm, but without emotional control. We work hard, but our minds are full of distractions, pressure, and worries. They persist even after we get home.

This psychological situation requires more attention and improvement before it has a more serious impact.

More or less, we need to learn and implement mindful living: a lifestyle of full awareness, a calm, clear, and focused mind, even when our bodies and work are moving at high intensity.

As Real Madrid fans, let’s learn from Toni Kroos in his final professional year. Amid the pressure of big matches, while other players are rushing, he seems to have more time. His touches are simple, his decisions precise, and his rhythm steady.

At work, being mindful means remaining calm amidst deadlines, not panicking during miscommunications, and being able to view problems as learning processes. There are team dynamics, missed targets, and competency demands. But rather than drowning in the pressure, let’s manage it with full awareness, while moving forward.

When starting a business, the pressure is much greater. There’s embarrassment when offering a product, failure to meet customer expectations, losses from unsold stock, or technical glitches like a faulty system. It’s painful and dizzying. Don’t be reactive. Strive for a calm response and fix things slowly.

In romantic relationships, family, social situations, and even spiritual ones, everything requires a process that can’t be faked. When we lose the rhythm of enjoying this process, life’s journey feels arduous. We may reach our destination, but without meaning, satisfaction, or complete happiness.

The world may be fast-paced, but the mind remains calm.

Heavy rains throughout the end of November 2025 brought suffering to the people of Sumatra. These disasters, in the form of floods and landslides, were triggered by Cyclone Koto in the Sulu Sea and Cyclone 95B in the Malacca Sea, which caused strong winds, extreme rainfall, and high waves in the region.

In North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh, overflowing rivers and landslides blocked roads, destroyed homes, and forced thousands of residents into temporary shelters. In upstream villages, former fields and depleted tree stands turned into mudslides that eroded downstream settlements. As of December 4, 2025, 836 people were reported dead, 518 people were declared missing, and tens of thousands of families were forced to evacuate.

Various videos circulating on social media show large numbers of logs being carried away by the floodwaters. This indicates that this flood and landslide disaster was not only caused by weather factors, but also by the effects of deforestation and illegal logging. These two activities have caused hydrometeorological disasters to occur more frequently with severe impacts.

In line with the analysis of various disaster management agencies, a similar pattern emerges: ecological damage, lax spatial planning, and inadequate local government capacity for mitigation. Ironically, the budget for disaster management has not grown as fast as the increasing risks. This imbalance, if left unchecked, will keep communities one step behind disasters.

In 2025, the initial budget ceiling for the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) was recorded at around Rp1.427 trillion, but after reconstruction and efficiency measures, the ceiling was compressed, and the remaining DIPA (Budget Implementation List) was reported to be around Rp956.67 billion. Meanwhile, for the 2026 fiscal year, the government, through the Draft State Budget (RAPBN), proposed an even smaller allocation: around Rp491 billion for the BNPB in the draft budget, the lowest level in the last decade according to several public records.

These figures clash sharply with the fiscal reality of disasters. Various studies and reports related to previous disasters show that the annual economic losses due to disasters far exceed the allocation for mitigation. It is this budget gap that makes us always reactive, not preventive.

In the case of the November 2025 floods, despite the widespread impact and loss of life, as of December 1, 2025, the status had not been elevated to a National Disaster; the central government and BNPB stated that the status determination took into account many indicators, including regional response capacity, and that indications of budget constraints were one of the factors influencing the decision-making process.

Disaster Financing in the Future

Darwanto (2012) documented that the Indonesian government’s Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) investment ratio is relatively small compared to international standards, which is 1% of the total national budget. In addition, DRR programs are not a priority for local governments, as reflected in the budget allocation for disaster-related programs.

In the future, in order to reduce the impact of disasters on socio-economic conditions, experts and the international community have initiated many programs, including the Disaster Risk Reduction program (Perwaiz et al., 2020), which has the potential to reduce losses caused by disasters. In general, disaster-related funding must be adjusted to the disaster cycle: pre-disaster, emergency response, and post-disaster.

These efforts need to be made if we want to stop repeating the pattern of ‘disaster, emergency, endless reconstruction’. Therefore, the fiscal focus must be on changing the structure of the disaster budget from reactive to preventive, and filling the gaps in available alternative financing instruments.

Here are some realistic solutions that can be implemented immediately:

First, increase and protect pre-disaster budget allocations. Budgets for mitigation, early warning, spatial planning enforcement, and ecosystem rehabilitation should not be cut whenever budget efficiency measures are implemented. A minimum target of 1% of central government spending on disaster resilience activities, as a benchmark, has been suggested by experts; therefore, the government needs to set a mandatory threshold in the state budget/regional budget to provide long-term certainty.

Second, operationalize the Pooling Fund and expand the Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance (DRFI) instrument. A pooling scheme that combines the state budget, regional budget, and private or philanthropic contributions can provide quick liquidity during disasters. Meanwhile, instruments such as Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat-DDO) and catastrophe bonds (Cat-Bonds) can add large liquidity options without burdening the annual budget. The government needs to develop a clear trigger mechanism so that rapid disbursement is not hampered by bureaucracy.

Third, simplify and synchronize disbursement mechanisms. One of the obstacles to disaster budget disbursement has been complex administrative requirements between regions, BNPB, the Ministry of Finance, and donors. A simpler on-call fund procedure, with technical SOPs, integrated cost standards, and ex-post audits, will accelerate response without sacrificing accountability.

Fourth, involve the private sector and communities through incentives. Fiscal incentives for companies investing in green infrastructure, reforestation, or buffer facilities (water retention, reservoirs) can mobilize large funds while reducing upstream-downstream risks. CSR is not just about providing post-disaster assistance; it must be directed as a mitigation investment.

Fifth, strengthen data and risk planning. Effective funding requires information: risk modeling, vulnerability databases, and national cost standards. Reliable data helps justify budget requirements and makes claims to donors and investors more convincing.

In addition to these five steps, there is an equally important political aspect, namely the courage to make priority choices. Efforts to maintain spatial planning, enforce sanctions against land use change in vulnerable areas, and lock in disaster mitigation budgets may not be popular choices in the short term, but they are cheaper than bearing the burden of years of reconstruction.

The floods in various regions at the end of November 2025 underscore that disasters are not merely a matter of nature; they are also a matter of fiscal decisions and governance. We must prepare financial instruments and regulations on paper to address similar events in the future. We also need budgetary courage and technical precision so that every rupiah spent on disaster response becomes an investment in safety, not just an expense to repair what has already been destroyed.

In recent weeks, the public has been buzzing about the phenomenon of Rojali and Rohana. These are not the names of famous movie characters, but rather the acronyms for “Rombongan Jarang Beli” (the group that rarely buys) and “Rombongan Hanya Nanya-Nanya” (the group that only asks questions).

In practice, this phenomenon can be observed in the bustling crowds at shopping malls, yet transactions at the stores within these malls remain slow. Mall visitors are now predominantly those who simply stroll around, browse through store collections, watch exhibitions, or simply head to the food court.

The most significant impact is felt by tenants selling durable goods such as cars, motorcycles, furniture, clothing, luxury items, and similar products. Sales of these products targeting the upper-middle-class segment are currently experiencing a slowdown. This aligns with the National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in March 2025, which indicates that the upper-middle-class group does indeed have a tendency to hold back on consumption.

Several factors are believed to be the cause of the emergence of the Rojali and Rohana phenomenon. For example, the middle class is being cautious in their consumption due to the turbulent national and global economic conditions, the declining purchasing power of the middle class, and the proximity of the Christmas, New Year, and Eid al-Fitr holidays, which have depleted people’s funds.

Weakening of the Middle Class

According to the World Bank’s definition, the middle class is a group of people whose expenditure is between 3.5 and 17 times above the poverty line. If calculated, anyone whose expenditure is between 1.9 million and 9.3 million per month is considered middle class.

David Sumual, an economist at PT Bank Central Asia Tbk., noted that this middle-class group contributes significantly to consumption, accounting for 70% (Risky et al., 2025). Meanwhile, household consumption remains the largest contributor to national economic growth, reaching 55% to 60% of GDP.

However, since the end of 2024, there has been much discussion about the weakening and decline of Indonesia’s middle-class economic group. Middle-class jobs continue to decline, particularly in labor-intensive manufacturing sectors; for example, some textile and footwear factories have gone bankrupt or laid off workers. Additionally, there is a trend for investors to shift toward capital-intensive natural resource sectors, as they are outcompeted by high-cost economies. (Basri, 2024)

The digital industry, represented by technology start-ups, is also not doing well. Many are laying off employees or have even gone bankrupt. A few years ago, this sector was very popular among the middle class. In the end, many have become unemployed or have switched to the informal sector with uncertain income, benefits, and job security.

The impact has undoubtedly dampened the purchasing power of the middle-class economic group to this day. Those who once visited shopping malls to buy or transact various products now only continue the lifestyle of visiting malls without being able to afford purchases.

Shoppertainment and Online Shopping

In addition to the weakening purchasing power of the middle class, another factor that needs to be observed from the Rojali and Rohana phenomenon is the increasing popularity of Shoppertainment and online shopping. Many people visit malls just to see the products they want, then check, compare, and make purchases on e-commerce platforms.

Last year, TikTok released a study titled “Shoppertainment 2024: The Future of Consumer and Commerce.” This study examines the changing trends in shopping behavior, which essentially now revolves around people enjoying shopping while also enjoying entertainment. The evolution of shopping behavior now prioritizes emotional aspects. Content-based commerce that provides entertainment and education before a transaction takes place.

In practice, watching sellers sell live on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Shopee has become a common activity for most people. So, when they want to buy something, they will watch videos on e-commerce platforms that explain the features, benefits, and how to use the product. This behavior is expected to shape the future of e-commerce.

When we visit shopping centers or retail stores today, it is very common to see sales assistants or shopkeepers conducting live online selling activities through various e-commerce and social commerce platforms. This is certainly part of efforts to increase sales and adapt to changes in consumer behavior.

This practice is supported by data from research firm Goodstats, which shows that online shopping activity in Indonesia in 2025 will experience significant growth, with the e-commerce market projected to reach US$46.6 billion (Rp785.5 trillion). This growth is driven by increased internet access and smartphone usage, as well as the adoption of digital wallets. Meanwhile, global data shows that by 2025, an estimated 21% of all retail purchases will be made online, which is the highest figure to date.

Structural Efforts and Business Adaptation

The Rojali and Rohana phenomenon is certainly a crucial indicator for the government to not only focus on reducing poverty rates, but also to pay attention to maintaining purchasing power and economic stability for middle-class households. A decline in middle-class consumption is feared to be the beginning of a decline in national economic growth.

Saving the middle class is certainly a priority concern. Economic pressures and industrial instability could make them vulnerable to falling into the Aspiring Middle Class (AMC) category, which can only spend between 825,000 and 1.9 million per month. Or they could even fall into the poor category, with expenditures between 550,000 and 825,000 per month.

The 50 percent electricity tariff reduction for customers below 2,200 VA in January-February 2025 and the government’s Wage Subsidy Assistance (BSU) should be appreciated. As far as can be observed, this program has helped many middle-class families to have more financial flexibility and increase their purchasing power.

However, in the future, we cannot rely solely on such incentives. Practical and strategic efforts to revive the manufacturing sector, attract domestic and global investors (Foreign Direct Investment), elevate SMEs to the formal sector, and provide protection for informal workers (gig workers) are essential steps that must be taken. Without these measures, the purchasing power of groups like Rojali and Rohana will continue to decline, even for their basic needs.

Business operators, particularly tenants in shopping centers, have also reached the point where they must engage in Shoppertainment and Online Selling activities. This appears to be the only option to maintain sales and the affordability of their products among the public. There is no longer a need to restrict oneself due to the status of being a “big brand” or “high-end brand.”

Additionally, enlivening shopping malls with various events remains a proven strategy for managers to attract visitors. Even though they fall into the Rojali and Rohana categories, promotions, price discounts, and other benefits can serve as incentives for them to impulsively purchase products sold by shopping mall tenants.

Are we often too busy thinking about the past, or are we burdened by an uncertain future?

The burden of past mistakes, the trauma of adolescence, the news of wars in the Middle East that are predicted to affect our economy, the threat of missile warfare, the deterioration of ecosystems, and many more.

In fact, the key to happiness is actually in the “now”. Eckhart Tolle in his book The Power of Now, writes that life only happens now.

The past is just a memory, the future is just a hope. Yes, both are unreal if you think about it.

So, if we continue to be stuck there, there is only anxiety and fear.

Many of us think happiness is in the “later” period, for example with the wishful thinking of “If I’m rich, then I’ll be happy.” “When I have this and that, then I’ll be happy.”

In fact, happiness cannot be delayed. It is always here, in this moment.

When we are fully aware of the present moment, we find peace, love, even the meaning of life.

In a very simple way: just pause, breathe, be grateful and realize that life is happening now.

Often, we are also not fully “present” where we are. Our mind drifts all over the place: work and business, tomorrow’s plans, faraway places or stressful things.

Being “here” is just as important as being “now”. Being fully aware of where we are, is a source of happiness too.

True happiness is not something we chase on the outside. It’s already inside, it’s just that it’s often covered up by overthinking.

We judge, analyze or worry too much, forgetting to enjoy the little things that make our lives meaningful.

Seperti ngobrol dengan pasangan, bermain dengan anak, musyawarah dengan orangtua, brainstorming dengan rekan kerja, dan banyak lagi.

Mari mulai coba praktikkan prinsip hidup di “saat ini” dan “di sini”. Melepaskan beban masa lalu, mengurangi khawatir pada masa depan.

Bahagia itu pada akhirnya bukan tujuan, tapi cara kita menjalani setiap detik dengan sadar dan bermakna.

This post was inspired by my experience last Friday and Saturday (July 11 and 12). It was a fun weekend in Solo. On Friday night, my wife and I rode our motorcycles from home to Ngarsopuro Night Market. After parking the motorcycle, we walked through the merchant corridor to the Triwindu market yard.

In the courtyard of the market, which contains sellers of various antiques, a music concert themed Road to #2 Solo Keroncong Festival 2025 was being held. For almost three hours, we sat in a corner enjoying keroncong music performances from the Orkes Keroncong Perkumpulan Masyarakat Surakarta (PMS) and Orkes Keroncong Rajamala. The event was lively with many audience members in attendance.

On Saturday, my wife and I, again set off on a motorcycle to Jalan Slamet Riyadi, Surakarta. At 16.00 WIB, we, along with hundreds or thousands of Solo residents, waited by the roadside to watch the dazzling performers at the 16th Solo Batik Carnival event. Before returning home, we stopped and shopped for culinary at the Pasar-Pasaran by Hello Market event on the Paragon Mall lawn.

While continuing our journey home, we passed by the crowded coffee shops along Jalan Slamet Riyadi, street vendors, as well as the crowds of people who crowded the field in front of the Surakarta City Hall and along the Pasar Gedhe area. A thought came to my mind: “Living in Solo, if you don’t go out on Sunday night, you will regret it.”

The excitement of two nights at the weekend is certainly not separated from the efforts of the Surakarta City Government in the tourism sector as one of the city’s economic drivers. The latest events complement the historical modalities of Solo, which is already rich in cultural tourism destinations.

Enjoying the stretching of the creative economy and the joy of people doing activities in public spaces, reminds my memoir by the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway wrote The Moveable Feast during the 1920s and it was published in 1964 by Scribner’s (US) and Jonathan Cape (UK).

Hemingway writes about the simple routines of coffee, food, weather, writing, and the streets of Paris. In his writings, we are invited to visit cafes that become centers of intellectual discussion, struggle, and joy in the midst of economic hardship.

In the midst of growing news about unemployment and the weakening of various industrial sectors in Indonesia, Solo seems to have found a solution that brings joy. This city, both the government and the community, are united in their efforts to develop cultural and culinary-based tourism, and involve Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the tourism ecosystem.

Although the majority are categorized as the informal sector with all its weaknesses, creative economic practices are one of the important economic sectors that spur economic growth in Solo. A report from the Regional Development Agency of Surakarta City in 2022 states that performing arts, culinary, fashion, and crafts in order occupy the top priority of the creative economy subsector.

Referring to the article by Hidayanti et al (2023), the strategy for developing tourism and creative economy in Surakarta City in the future includes strengthening inter-stakeholder collaboration to create excellent programs based on culture and local wisdom, improving service quality and CHSE certification, and encouraging local community empowerment, improving the performance of tourism awareness groups, and utilizing digital technology for promotion and creative economy development.

The momentum of the event crowd in Surakarta City must be maintained in order to maintain the strategic opportunity for Solo to be known as a ‘festival city’ or ‘city of festivals’ by the people of Indonesia and abroad. Both terms are borrowed from the book “Eventful Cities” written by Greg Richard and Robert Palmer in 2007.

The authors highlighted the importance of cities developing events because, at a time when economic conditions are no longer predictable, in order to remain competitive, cities are turning to strategies that focus on their own innate resources, such as history, space, energy and creative talent.

The city of Solo has proven to be able to ‘live’ on the vibrant atmosphere that has become so embedded in the lives of its residents. With all these resources at its disposal, Solo will, and must, remain bustling, moving forward.

The Industrial Revolution volume 4 has continued to be an interesting topic of discussion for the past few years. The rapid development of contemporary industry supported by the internet, artificial intelligence and various automation processes certainly raises pros and cons.

Those who support it state that this industrial revolution makes it easier for humans to run a business, from recruiting workers, production processes to product marketing. While the opposing group states that existing conditions and systems are still not ready for the automation process which then causes many workers to be ‘replaced’ in their roles.

Popkova et al (2018: 5) in the book “Industry 4.0: Industrial Revolution for the 21st Century” wrote that the scientific term “Industry 4.0” was first introduced in Germany in 2011 at the Hannover Fair, where this term is used to indicate the transformation process in the global value creation chain.

In the report “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” (2017), presented by Klauss Schwab at the World Economic Forum, it is stated that Industry 4.0 includes business processes in industry that envisage the organization of global production networks based on new information and communication technologies and Internet technologies, with the help of which the interaction of production objects is carried out.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology scholars Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee (2014) describe Industry 4.0 as the golden age of the machine production industry, organized on the basis of digital technologies and fully automated.

According to Russian scientist V. N. Knyaginina, the most important specification of the distinguishing features of Industry 4.0 from traditional production industries is the absolute integration (close interconnection) and interactivity (adaptation to the situation in real time) of all production processes of an industrial enterprise, ensured by means of modern digital technologies (Knyaginina 2017).

E. Loshkareva, O. Luksha, I.Ninenko, I. Smagin, and D. Sudakov (in Popkova et al, 2018) define Industry 4.0 as “a revolutionary method of organizing industrial production, based on widespread digitalization and automation of production and distribution processes in industry that erases the boundaries between physical objects, turning them into a comprehensive complex system of interconnected and interdependent elements”.

Experts also distinguish the basic characteristics of Industry 4.0 from previous industrial revolutions, namely:

1. Transition from manual labor to robototronics, which ensures the automation of all production processes;
2. Modernization of transport and logistics systems, caused by the mass distribution of unmanned vehicles;
3. Increasing the complexity and precision of manufactured technical products, the creation of new construction materials due to the improvement of production technologies;
4. Development of inter-machine communication and physical management of systems carried out with the help of the “Internet of things”,
5. Application of self-teaching programs to provide constant development of production systems.

Kumar et al (2019) in the book “Industry 4.0: Developments towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution” citing (Kagermann et al. 2013) wrote that Industry 4.0 is often considered a phenomenon that produces a paradigm shift in technology that has been used for manufacturing processes since the previous three industrial revolutions.

The concept of Industry 4.0 originated in Germany in 2011 and with further progress and ongoing research has become one of the strategic initiatives of the German government. This concept is included in the strategic agenda of the German government called the “High-Tech Strategy 2020 Action Plan”. This strategic agenda is then promoted as the future of the country and is considered a driving force for economic and industrial growth (Mosconi 2015 in Kumar et al, 2019).

Industry 4.0 has been visualized as an interconnected framework of digital devices, production centers, smart machines and products that can communicate with each other, exchange data and information and therefore require actions in self-monitoring and controlling the various elements within a framework.

This framework is often referred to as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) (Weyer et al. 2015). For example, smart factories are made accessible to a diverse network of stakeholders: retailers, customers and suppliers through high-speed internet services. The framework is designed to handle and process volumes of data to ultimately aid in analysis.

Industry 4.0 has opened a new era of what is called the smart factory (Lee, 2015). Smart factories include machines and systems that interact with the products being manufactured. In the virtual world, these factories are referred to as Digital Twins where intelligent self-optimization algorithms are used to process data generated by different physical elements of the manufacturing arena.

These self-optimizing algorithms help in generating accurate information regarding the performance and condition of various physical systems in real time. Hence, in the cyber world, factories have an environment where machines and other factory equipment are able to analyze their own conditions through self-diagnosis.

This capability helps the equipment to predict their possible failures and hence is able to detect their failures. Furthermore, the integrated digital framework helps in dynamic scheduling of the factory as per the customer requirements and as per the status of the machines involved in production.

Internet of Things, Internet of Services and Cyber-Physical Systems are the key components of Industry 4.0. Collectively, these technologies enable seamless communication and effective exchange of information between humans, between machines and between machines and humans (Roblek, 2016).

Embedded devices form the main component of Cyber-Physical Systems. Devices consisting of software and hardware integrated into an electrical or mechanical system to perform a specific function are considered as embedded devices.

A combined Cyber-Physical System is a collection of devices that not only communicate effectively with each other but also with the physical environment. The communication is realized through sensors and actuators. Computing facilities can be used more ubiquitously with the help of Cyber-Physical Systems.

When the medium of communication between various devices and machines is the internet, this condition is called the Internet of Things. The concept refers to a scenario where computing capabilities are extended to objects and other related items and products that are often not considered digital. Things exchange and generate data with minimum human intervention (Xia et al. 2012).

Such things form a highly intelligent networked environment that is heterogeneous in nature. Objects in the scenario are not limited by their geographical location and hence can communicate over the internet irrespective of where they exist. The Internet of Things enables the development of a network of globally distributed suppliers and manufacturers.

Lim in the book “Industrial Revolution 4.0; Tech Giants and Digitized Society” (2019:75) wrote that technology in the form of highly vaunted robotics and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has provided a path to achieving higher productivity and economic growth for companies that utilize these technologies.

Benefits and Harm to Humans

Technology brings many benefits, including the possibility of increased productivity leading to salaries, better skills, training, career management, and even the convenience of the workplace and optimization of its functions.

Such conveniences can also be a solution to Human Resources (HR) problems where applications such as LinkedIn have made it easier to search for jobs online by connecting personal Curriculum Vitae with suitable job positions. Companies have also turned to applications such as Linkedin to hire their workforce.

Of course, on the other hand, many jobs will be disrupted by technology and automation. Historically, one of the first jobs or manufacturing functions in the US auto manufacturing industry to be replaced by robots was the vehicle body color assembly line.

Automation in this area facilitates the ability of automakers to customize the color of car body paint for customers. The digitization and automation of robots will ultimately affect jobs in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Autonomous vehicles that are driven independently can make deliveries and perform other logistics tasks for industries and factories. Digital platforms and online payment systems can replace cashiers and human service providers. (Lim, 2019:75)

No job is considered sacred anymore and many monotonous, standard, repetitive and mechanical tasks can be replaced by machines. Automation will also put pressure on workers’ wages, especially low-skilled jobs.

Experts focus on the acceleration of the pace of disruption that will pose challenges never experienced before in the history of workplace evolution. Its scope will also extend to all industries and all types of jobs will be affected, from blue-collar to white-collar jobs.

Many people find that they have to adapt to technology or even fully integrate technology into their jobs to increase their productivity. Machines and software will eventually learn new skills independently and be able to accomplish more tasks than humans, if not equal them.

Machines and software when programmed the right way, they tend to make fewer mistakes than humans. They are also unlikely to complain or feel unhappy with working conditions and hours.

Robots are also very suitable for dirty, demanding and dangerous jobs. Manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and firms will make strategic decisions in deploying these robots, considering their long-term costs and investments.

Living in Line with the Industrial Revolution

In the short term, if there is still a supply of affordable cheap human labor, the use of robotics, A.I. and applications may be delayed. The challenge is how to help humans coexist and work together with A.I. and robots.

Pro-automation, pro-robotics and pro-A.I. experts argue that all is not lost. Technology can actually empower humans in their search for suitable and ideal careers. Digital software and algorithms allow individuals to connect to their best or at least suitable jobs. This will ease HR challenges to some extent. Digital technology also makes CVs, biodata and HR records of job seekers more transparent to employers.

Another advantage of technology is that it allows humans to work more flexible hours and even work from home. Access to technology makes it easier for groups who do not enjoy full mobility, a working mother who needs to look after her children, people who need to be at home to look after the elderly, people who choose to work from home for various reasons, and so on.

Technology also facilitates the lifestyle of individuals who are unable to work regular business hours to work at their own pace, schedule and location of choice. Some of these individuals may have previously worked in the informal sector of the economy, they are brought back into the fold of formal employment.

Lim (2019:76) Super apps (power apps) with search engines and algorithmic screening functions can also help find human talent in specific fields and with specific skills easily by companies.

This will facilitate the efforts of HR managers to search for talent and such companies can save costs by advertising and contacting candidates/talents. By sifting through large amounts of data and information, this software improves the efficiency of HR departments and also promotes the right people for the right jobs.

This process is made possible by digital trends that point to the expansion of online data storage capabilities and super-fast data processing in contemporary computer systems. When individuals are matched with optimal job selection, they tend to show more job satisfaction, are motivated by self-interest and exhibit higher work morale.

Finally, technology also empowers entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals and independent contractors. These people may want a greater degree of freedom in choosing tasks that interest them. Some groups of individuals in this category may have difficulty finding regular employment and therefore decide to go it alone.

Others, however, may have a creative idea and want to make it happen. In other words, technology can empower entrepreneurs and creative individuals who are driven to bring a creative idea to life. It can drive innovation when applied to individual creative entrepreneurship.

In this sense, technology can actually help create new jobs and increase demand for certain skills (e.g. Data analytics) that did not exist before. This has led non-profit organizations, the non-governmental sector, and the private sector to work together to empower more people to take advantage of the use of technology.

They are helping to train coders in African languages, training women in technology skills in Indian villages, reaching out to rural areas to bring more people into the workforce. Some of these organizations are donating or subsidizing infrastructure, equipment, and other facilities to train individuals. Many are stories that inspire others.

Hari raya idulfitri kali ini alhamdulilah jadi momen sharing tentang beberapa topik:

1. Hikmah dari badah puasa Ramadan adalah mengajarkan kita untuk syukur dan patuh (taqwa) pada perintah Allah. Bersyukur atas petunjuk, limpahan pahala dan kemudahan dari Allah dalam menjalankan ibadah di bulan suci tersebut.

2. Hidup manusia didesain Allah menjadi indah dengan segala fasilitas materialistik berupa pasangan, anak, harta benda, kendaraan, tanah dan lain sebagainya. Namun bagi orang yang bertaqwa, keindahan sejati adalah surga dan memperoleh ridha dari Allah.

3. Lebaran jadi momen bertemu dengan orang tua, memperbaiki hubungan, khidmah dan doa kita untuk mereka. Sebagaimana ditulis Syaikh Zainuddin al-Malibari dalam ‘Irsyadul Ibad’ bahwa perilaku/perbuatan baik yang paling utama adalah “birrul walidain”.

4. Agama adalah nasihat (ad-diin an nasihat). Jadi momen bertemu halal bihalal lebaran jadi waktu yang tepat untuk mengingatkan pada kebaikan. Nasihat yang baik akan mengantar penerimanya pada kebaikan. Sedangkan yang ingkar, Allah menggambarkan hatinya ibarat lebih keras dari batu (kal hijaarati au asyaddu qasywah).

5. Orang tua punya kewajiban terhadap anak-anak mereka beberapa hal: memastikan tetap dalam kondisi iman dan Islam sebagaimana kisah nabi Ishaq kepada anak-anaknya sebelum wafat, mempersiapkan kemandirian ekonominya, serta mengupayakan mereka menjadi pemimpin umat juga sebagaimana kontribusi bapaknya — hal ini dicontohkan dalam pertanyaan (doa) nabi Ibrahim a.s kepada Allah ‘qaala wa min dzurriyatii’.

6. Pernikahan tujuan akhirnya adalah ketentraman, kasih sayang dan kedamaian. Selain sebagai bukti kekuasaan Allah, juga jadi modalitas untuk membangun komunitas keluarga yang baik.

Ramadan is a holy and glorified month for Muslims all over the world. This is because in that month the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. A holy book which is the greatest miracle received by mankind through the last prophet.

In 2025, the 1st of Ramadan 1446 H falls on Saturday, March 1, 2025. However, the Ministry of Religion will hold the Isbat Session for the Beginning of Ramadan 1446 H Held on February 28, 2025.

For a whole month, Muslims are also required to fast. A process of worship aimed at purifying oneself and increasing piety and ending with paying zakat fitrah. Zakat has the wisdom of purifying wealth and contains a social mission for our brothers and sisters who are poor, needy, converts, people who are in debt to those who fight in the way of Allah; in education or physical jihad.

On the other hand, Ramadhan also creates a unique socio-economic phenomenon for Muslims, especially in Indonesia. According to Campante and Yanagizawa in their 2015 research, Ramadhan is known to increase people’s happiness. Ramadhan and Eid are moments to be more connected with relatives, to socialize and forgive each other; a series of social mechanisms that encourage increased happiness.

Uniquely, based on a research report entitled “TGM Ramadhan Insights in Indonesia 2024” Ramadhan is not only a religious tradition, but also a cultural tradition that is deeply embedded in the hearts of the Indonesian people. Regardless of religion. The spirit of visiting, improving relationships and sharing in Indonesian traditions is not just exclusive between fellow Muslims. This spirit of togetherness is a valuable asset for the Indonesian nation.

Referring to the Bank Indonesia report (2023), Ramadhan is the peak of economic liquidity marked by the amount of money in circulation between 8,300 trillion in that period. Up 7.9 percent year on year (yoy). Meanwhile, data from the Mandiri Spending Index (MSI) in March 2023, consumer spending increased by 136.4 percent, the highest since January.

The increase in money circulation then increases the inflation rate. The two main factors are because there is a holiday allowance (THR) system and religious encouragement to pay zakat, which requires Muslims to spend their wealth that has been sitting idle for a whole year.

The various macroeconomic data are also supported by various micro phenomena that we can observe every day. “Possibly” MSMEs sell a variety of food and beverage menus in crowded areas and even on the sides of the road.

Restaurants and stalls filled with people breaking the fast together (bukber). Shopping centers and clothing retail stores that are crowded with visitors and have increased sales, some even fulfill 50 percent of their annual turnover (revenue) from sales in this month of Ramadan. Not to mention online business actors who, based on Google data, have doubled or 58% compared to other months and are even higher than National Online Shopping Day (Habolnas).

A survey from Litbang Kompas in mid-April 2023 showed information on the allocation of the community’s Eid budget. Most of it is intended for angpau to relatives. Followed by activities of buying food and special lebaran dishes, buying new clothes/shoes, traveling back to the village and traveling with family.

People’s shopping behavior for this year’s Ramadan is more dominantly done offline (in stores) continuing the trend from the previous year, compared to shopping online. The majority (40%) also do shopping activities in the last week of February (before entering Ramadan), followed by 39% of people shopping in the period during March (during Ramadan), the rest do shopping activities long ago in February and during Eid al-Fitr. (TGM Research, 2024)

The Consumeri.id Institute divides the timeline of people’s consumption during Ramadan into four parts with product items purchased during the four periods.

Before Ramadan:
1. FMCG
2. Confectionery
3. Financial Service
4. Healthcare
5. Religious & Spiritual items
6. Media & Entertainment

First and second week of Ramadan:
1. Food and beverage
2. FMCG
3. Confectionery
4. Financial Service
5. Restaurant and food delivery
6. Media & Entertainment
7. Charitable Donations

Third and fourth week of Ramadan:
1. Food and beverages
2. FMCG
3. Confectionery
4. Financial Services
5. Skincare and makeup
6. Fashion and apparel
7. Home Decor
8. Household Appliances
9. Electronics and gadgets
10. Transportations and accommodations
11. Restaurant and food delivery
12. Media & Entertainment
13. Charitable Donations

After Ramadan
1. Local Culinary
2. FMCG
3. Confectionery
4. Financial Services
5. Skincare and makeup
6. Fashion and apparel
7. Home Decor
8. Household Appliances
9. Electronics and gadgets
10. Transportations and accommodations

Furthermore, still referring to the results of the TGM Research study, the majority of respondents still highly consider price, discounts, and various product delivery options in their shopping behavior. Followed by factors such as consumer reviews, service, various payment options provided by sellers, and store atmosphere factors.

Understanding the social and economic phenomena during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr is important for the government and business actors. For new business actors, consumption patterns and behavioral changes during Ramadan can be a reference in preparing product stock, managing marketing materials, and determining pricing strategies.

Meanwhile, for the Muslim community, this moment is not only urgent to improve the quality of piety and friendship, but also important in the future to continue to improve the quality of spending from the shopping budget that we have. Self-control in shopping is certainly still important, in order to avoid waste which is a reprehensible attitude in religion.

Also, shopping is not intended to show off or be arrogant, but rather intended more proportionally to share and give alms; where this good intention is important so that our shopping activities are not only of worldly value but also savings of rewards for the afterlife.