Cultural Lag and Digital Campaigns in 2020 Simultaneous Regional Elections: A Theoretical Review

Simultaneous regional elections in 2020 were held during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the election campaign stage, campaigning through digital media is one of the most possible alternatives during the pandemic. Although digital media is increasingly dominating social life, the 2020 simultaneous regional election campaigns show the opposite phenomenon: digital campaigns are quiet and not optimal. This article aims to analyze the phenomenon of digital campaigns during the pandemic in terms of cultural lag theory. The results of the analysis show that digital campaigns are carried out by candidates as a forced-choice due to the covid-19 pandemic. The candidates and the public are not ready with the digital campaign culture despite the popularity of internet technology in the community. Unpreparedness to enter digital culture in electoral politics raises the phenomenon of cultural lag in simultaneous regional election campaigns, because candidates and voters face “stuttering” in utilizing digital space for the campaign process. This cultural gap causes digital media technology to be ineffective in the campaign process.