DIGITAL COMICS BASED ON LOCAL WISDOM: AN IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW MEDIA LITERACY AS A CAPITAL FOR LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE ENTREPRENEURS AMONG GENERATION Z

Abstract

This research examines the implementation of local wisdom-based digital comics as a form of new media literacy and entrepreneurial capital among Generation Z students in the Indonesian Literature Study Program at UNIMED. The main issue addressed in this study is the tendency of students to function merely as digital media consumers, while the potential of local culture and digital creativity has not been optimally utilized as productive entrepreneurial capital. This study aims to analyze how digital comics based on local wisdom can strengthen media literacy, cultural preservation, and entrepreneurial awareness among students. This research employed a qualitative approach using Alfred Schutz’s social phenomenology perspective. The research subjects consisted of seven students representing fourteen study groups enrolled in the Language and Literature Entrepreneurship course. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation studies, then analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that students experienced a transformation from passive digital consumers into active, creative producers capable of utilizing digital media for communication, cultural representation, and entrepreneurial purposes. The study also found that digital comics function as interactive communication media that integrate local wisdom, digital creativity, and economic value simultaneously. Furthermore, the integration of local culture into digital comics strengthened students’ cultural identity while increasing the originality and competitiveness of their creative content in the digital era.