DIGITAL LITERACY AND CIVIC COMPETENCE IN THE CIREUNDEU INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY

Abstract

This study examines the levels and forms of digital literacy in the Cireundeu Indigenous Community, its contribution to global citizenship competence, and its relationship to the community-based achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. A qualitative descriptive design was used in Cireundeu Traditional Village, Cimahi, West Java. Three information-rich participants were selected purposively: one community spokesperson and two local souvenir entrepreneurs. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and a brief contextual questionnaire, then analyzed through coding, thematic categorization, data display, and interpretive verification. Source and method triangulation were used to strengthen credibility. The findings indicate that digital literacy is developing but remains predominantly operational. Smartphones, social media, digital payments, and quick-response codes are used for communication, product promotion, transactions, event information, and cultural visibility. Critical evaluation, data protection, content planning, and strategic platform management remain limited, with a noticeable generational gap. Digital practices nevertheless expand intercultural interaction and support civic competence by connecting local identity with wider environmental, cultural, and economic issues. They also contribute to quality education, decent work, responsible consumption, sustainable communities, and cultural preservation. The study proposes culturally grounded digital literacy as a bridge between indigenous knowledge and global participation, provided that community authority, digital ethics, security, and cultural ownership remain central.