The particular dialect or language that a person chooses to use on any occasion is called a code 43 Copyright © 2022 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo IDEAS Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 10, Number 1, June 2022 pp. 43 - 51 The COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Media Culture, and Public Education Indah Chairun Nisa1; Alemina Br. Perangin angin2; Umar Mono3 alemina@usu.ac.id 1Faculty of Cultural Science, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan 2Faculty of Cultural Science, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan 3Faculty of Cultural Science, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan Received: 2021-12-18 Accepted: 2022-06-06 DOI: 10.24256/ideas.v10i1.2369 Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the public education of COVID-19 through the use of social and cultural media. Additionally, this research examines how the media affects the community and the role of mass media communication in raising knowledge about COVID19 prevention and preventative measures. This study employs a qualitative method by adopting a virtual ethnographic approach, which refers to ethnographic research regarding the internet and social media conducted in online settings. The findings indicate that Indonesian social media culture can serve as a teacher by educating the public and stimulating interest in the latest research on COVID-19; by directing people to their websites and landing pages for information on the latest and most trusted COVID-19; by marketing innovative services such as health care social funding; and by posting case information, photos, and results (with permission) relating to COVID-19. Keywords: Covid-19 Pandemic, Social Media Culture, Public Education. Introduction Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a newly discovered coronavirus strain. 4 The majority of distractions experienced by COVID-19 virus infection patients are mild to moderate in severity and resolve without the need for additional therapy. 5 Transmission is more prevalent in the elderly and those with a history of medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer. Six individuals are more likely to contract the COVID-19 virus and develop a severe illness. Coronavirus was initially misdiagnosed as flu in 1960, with approximately 500 patients exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Additionally, Corona is considered a non- lethal virus and was thought to be simple until 2002. Following the outbreak of http://u.lipi.go.id/1457703302 mailto:alemina@usu.ac.id Indah Chairun Nisa; Alemina Br. Perangin angin; Umar Mono The COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Media Culture, and Public Education 44 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) in China, experts began focusing their attention on the causes. They discovered that this outbreak resulted from a novel type of Corona. In 2012, the Middle East experienced an epidemic similar to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-Cov). 9 From It was during these two incidents that it was discovered that Corona was not a stable and capable virus capable of adapting to become more violent, even fatal. The most problematic recent coronavirus (COVID-19) increase in the prevalence occurred in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. Until March 31, 2020, China had 81,620 COVID-19 cases, with 3,322 deaths and 76,571 recoveries. The virus has spread to 203 countries, resulting in 827,419 confirmed cases and 40,777 deaths. Indonesia is inextricably linked to COVID-19, with positive data cases totaling up to 1,790 people as of April 2, 2020, 112 people recovering, and up to 170 people dying. 12 Naturally, preventive measures have been taken, as evidenced by the role of social media in educating the public about COVID-19. Measures can be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 via social media. Although numerous factors influence health-related behavior, community awareness of risks is critical for improving individual health and public health status and avoiding COVID-19. Mass media communication, specifically social media, is a crucial component of numerous health promotion strategies to change health risk behaviors. Media outlets can simultaneously reach and influence millions of Indonesians. The media's most obvious strength is in its ability to get a large number of people. Individual behavior and community values that support the environment and individuals can be influenced by social media, making it necessary to maintain the habit of changing behavior to be health-conscious. Additionally, as health care delivery patterns continue to evolve, the media can educate the public about alternative options and perspectives. Social media platforms transmit health information with the account owner's permission. The majority of social media platforms obtain information from news and other features and thus indirectly enter the realm of popular mass entertainment websites. News coverage of health information and medical advancements has the potential to save lives, but it can also be alarming and misleading. The media is an unavoidable source of health information for most Indonesians. Social media has changed into an education tool due mainly to the volume of information and opportunities for interaction and the direction in which data can be developed into other links. This demonstrates that, in addition to its role as a medium of entertainment, social media can be used as a source of information and answers to simple questions, including those about COVID-19. This paper will examine public education about COVID19 through the lens of social media and its culture. Additionally, this research contributes to our understanding of how the media influence society by incorporating mass media communications into strategies for raising awareness about COVID-19 management and prevention efforts. IDEAS, Vol. 10, No. 1, June 2021 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 45 Method This study is qualitative research because it makes use of virtual ethnography. Virtual ethnography is a method of conducting ethnographic research in an online environment used in this study to examine the internet and social media. This was done out of an interest in learning about the social media culture frequently associated with the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Indonesia's sharing culture. Additionally, with virtual ethnography, this research examines communal trends, information dissemination, and online education. The study is limited by the social media platforms used, specifically Twitter and Instagram. The data are presented in a descriptive-analytical format to facilitate discussion about public education regarding COVID-19 via social media and its culture. Additionally, this research identifies how the media affect society and the importance of involving the mass media in a strategy to raise awareness about the COVID-19 handling effort and prevention. Results and Discussion Collaboration on both the Internet and culture has had a big impact on both. Understanding how the Internet changes society and culture is important. It's clear that the Internet can change culture through freedom and flexibility, which is why it is important to pay attention to this. The effect can even be thought of as a whole culture on its own. Internet and culture collaboration in Indonesia can help make the Internet more useful by focusing on accuracy and being aware of its flaws, so that it can be more useful for people. In Indonesia, the internet and culture have repercussions that will take years to apply fully. The internet has had a significant impact on the way people live due to technological advancements. Individuals' subjects and forms of communication and their frequency and habits have shifted as a result of the availability and accessibility of online communication technologies. The advancement of information and communication technologies and the broader implications of globalization have altered how people live, communicate, learn, and define themselves, reintroducing the concept of cultural identity. Space, time, and distance all lose their usual meanings. Unfortunately, this advantage can also be considered a disadvantage in cultural globalization and the continual global movement of artistic processes. According to research arguing that the internet is eroding culture, the open nature of the internet via social media makes any information accessible to anyone and anywhere. Be it youngsters or adults who promptly replicate or practice what they see or read, regardless of the context in which they find themselves. On the other hand, the internet connects more people to culture by making it easier and faster to access; this can stimulate the growth of new kinds of artistic expression and knowledge transmission, particularly its connection to the COVID-19 pandemic information distribution. This research does not imply that the internet via social media is always positive and without issues. On the other hand, this research encourages readers not to allow the internet's harmful impact on culture to be obscured by social media. Individuals must recognize that social media will continue Indah Chairun Nisa; Alemina Br. Perangin angin; Umar Mono The COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Media Culture, and Public Education 46 to shape culture in numerous ways as it advances and improves usage and the early response to the COVID-19 epidemic to mitigate the more extensive damage. To truly appreciate social media's influence on society, it's vital to recognize that technology is material culture. 28 This culture is created by social processes inside a particular institutional setting and is shaped by the producers' ideas, beliefs, interests, and expertise, both initial and later. In this process, technology users should be classified as adapting rather than adopting technology, as they modify and develop it in a constant interplay between technological creation and social use. Thus, during this COVID-19 pandemic, society must situate it within the broader context of social structure transformation and within the social structure's cultural characteristics, where social media culture has become a need in Indonesian society. Internet interventions and behavioral informatics can assist individuals, both COVID-19 suspects and the general public, change their behavior to improve their physical, mental, and behavioral health. Social media interventions, in particular, have several advantages, including broad access across regional barriers, spatial constraints, and cost-efficiency. Today, the proliferation of social networking sites opens up new avenues for disseminating public health interventions and promoting substantial advancements in health behavior. The advancements in our ability to communicate and connect have affected how the net generation is educated. Parents from the baby boomer generation through (possibly) generation X are typically schooled rigorously. There are correct and incorrect solutions to everything, but generation z, or the net generation, is encouraged to explore the world independently in today's educational system. Dissemination of information about COVID-19 through methods such as social media has invested in expanding their scope, allowing them to act as educators and health agents. Users can immediately alert the public about COVID-19-related issues via interactive social media channels. Society changes significantly due to the way information is communicated, with people continually linked and informed about what is occurring in their own lives and around the world. Along with established systems that rely on laboratory- confirmed diagnoses, social media platforms are regarded as sources of public health information and warnings. Additionally, communication is increasingly relying on internet communication to transmit information and coordinate resources such as medical equipment, management health personnel, and knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is the most significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, partly due to poor lifestyle patterns and an inability to distinguish between social and physical separation. While it is true that a balanced diet, poor health, smoking, and alcohol misuse are all prevalent risk factors for respiratory diseases and other chronic ailments, which exacerbate the impact of COVID19, the government-suggested measures have a high priority. In disseminating knowledge about COVID-19, social media or other forms of other technologies are used instead of traditional modes of education, whose development as social institutions is likewise influenced by the media's rapid IDEAS, Vol. 10, No. 1, June 2021 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 47 expansion. 35 Throughout history, media has been a social institution. Numerous views and conventions exist in society due to the information people acquire, particularly knowledge about COVID19. Print media can be utilized as a precursor to social media. From a power politics standpoint, where there was no letter news, the invaders could maintain influence over the populace by establishing themselves as the higher and better party. 36 Thus, it is apparent that media has always been a social institution. When technology continues to permeate all facets of human life, the media becomes the primary source of knowledge and an ever-increasing requirement for survival. The advent of technology results from the changes that occur in the lives of humans. The education sector has profited significantly from contributions to information and communication technologies. They have also assisted in directing the community on Twitter and Instagram when inserting the keyword "covid19" into the search area. Figure 1. “covid19” in Social Media Instagram Instagram's algorithm engine quickly sends users a link to the official COVID- 19 page. Additionally, the Instagram hashtag #covid19 aids in locating information on COVID-19. Social media can serve as an additional information channel to the official means of collecting health data during this COVID-19 pandemic, which has historically been successful as health authorities carry out epidemiological monitoring and control operations. As a result, an increasing number of companies, professionals, and scientific institutions recognize the need to utilize health information resources available via social media platforms. On Twitter, they did something similar, providing a quick link to the official government-run COVID-19 website on their main page. Of course, the community can easily access this material to educate itself about COVID-19. Indah Chairun Nisa; Alemina Br. Perangin angin; Umar Mono The COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Media Culture, and Public Education 48 Figure 2. Information link related to COVID-19 on Twitter Efforts made by social media to link users to related news COVID-19, which has the highest priority at the moment, is a method of preventing the spread of hoaxes that can disturb the public in Indonesia and have the potential to break the link of community nationalism. Source The most robust sense of community identity is found in the communal political culture of the public domain. Culture is sometimes used to refer to a way of life that includes religion and an official language. It also has its artistic traditions and styles and unique rituals and family structures that distinguish it from other communities. This effect is inextricably linked to the role of newspapers, radio, and television in encouraging people to consider national phenomena in general and their own country in particular patriotically. Nevertheless, there is no theory underlying this relationship between the mass media and the state, and it is empirically untested. Concerning the media's link to national cultural identity, the answer is simple: media should be significant since they are ubiquitous. Thus, social media contains millions of pieces of information and requires maturity and critical thinking on the part of its users. With the media's significant influence on the socialization process and people's behavior, one could argue that the media is a considerable force in defining national identity during this COVID-19 pandemic. For democratic institutions, the media are a potent tool for changing public opinion in the political, cultural, and economic spheres relating to health in this COVID-19. Due to social media's proximity to society, residents in democratic countries regard it as a natural part of life. Individuals utilize social media to express their thoughts, gather information, and share personal tales. Additionally, data indicate that 60% of physicians view social media to improve patient care. For patients, social media provides a platform to seek advice from peers experiencing similar health issues. Additionally, they seek advice for lifestyle modifications and remedies to any health problems they may encounter. For instance, someone concerned with preventing COVID-19 through handwashing gestures with soap can browse blogs or seek advice from members of the social media community. They are attempting to allay COVID fears by gaining access to and developing social media environments demonstrating the efficiency of handwashing with soap in killing the COVID-19 virus. Social media can also conduct research and track COVID-19 outbreaks in public health. For instance, researchers have utilized social media to monitor and IDEAS, Vol. 10, No. 1, June 2021 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 49 forecast the COVID-19 outbreak's progress. With so much publicly available information about various diseases and other public health challenges, there is considerable promise for leveraging social media as a source of data mining for developing pandemic response strategies. Social media platforms can also monitor public opinion on issues such as the usage of disinfectants and other preventative and treatment methods for COVID-19. Additionally, health organizations and experts might respond to information shared on social media. For instance, if they become aware of imminent illness outbreaks, they might plan for the availability and supplier of services. Additionally, they can direct relevant research toward mitigating the effects of disinformation. This is due to the worldwide character of social media, which allows for the usage of social media information applications on a global scale. Conclusion In the present era, media and sources of knowledge are constantly expanding. Currently, static media sources such as books are being applied in a dynamic and virtual format, increasing public appeal and facilitating comprehension. Additionally, so that individuals may more easily discern the content of the communication or material conveying the knowledge, particularly in light of the COVID-19 scandal that is currently rife. In all its forms and media, education is a critical component of the Indonesian people, as it is thought to shape individuals and educate them on how to act and react in specific situations. In simple terms, education is a significant contributor to society because it enables individuals to develop into more mature individuals capable of adapting to and being helpful in their environment when confronted with COVID-19, at the very least by educating people's behavior in their immediate environment. To a significant part, the influence of social media in public health education can be attributed to the introduction of technology that enables individuals to speed the distribution of knowledge about COVID-19. Technology has evolved into a significant enabler; even the way society functions has altered due to technology. Individuals can readily share information about COVID-19 via social media. They can serve as educators who can educate the public and stimulate interest in recent research; health service education; directing the crowd to their websites and landing pages for trusted health information; marketing innovative services such as social care fund services health; postings related to case information, photos, and results (with permission); sharing review and testimonials of recovered patients; and providing support to Indonesian citizens in the face of opportunistic crime. References Alber, Julia M., Samantha Paige, Michael Stellefson, and Jay M. 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