Is the broadcast WhatsApp group still effective for delivering emergency messages to Gen Z?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25139/jkp.v9i1.11713Keywords:
crisis communication; emergency communication; generation z; whatsapp broadcastAbstract
This study examines the effectiveness of WhatsApp broadcast groups as a channel for delivering emergency messages to Generation Z (Gen Z) in Indonesia, a demographic heavily reliant on digital platforms amid rising platform fragmentation. The study advocates hybrid strategies integrating WhatsApp with multi-platform, interactive tools to optimizee research qualitatively evaluates four core dimensions: reach, timeliness, clarity, and interactivity of broadcasted alerts. FGD participants highlight WhatsApp's advantages, including near-universal adoption, high open rates, and rapid delivery, positioning it as a reliable first-alert mechanism during crises like natural disasters or public health emergencies prevalent in Indonesia. Nonetheless, limitations emerge prominently: one-way messaging fosters overload from group saturation, diminishes engagement compared to interactive TikTok or Instagram formats, and encounters selective exposure influenced by Gen Z's disaster information literacy and preference for multimedia-rich updates. Findings reveal that while broadcast groups retain conditional viability, their standalone efficacy wanes against Gen Z's demand for personalized, bidirectional communication. The study advocates hybrid strategies integrating WhatsApp with multi-platform, interactive tools to optimize emergency reach and response among this cohort.
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Athukorala, P., & Resosudarmo, B. P. (2005). The Indian Ocean Tsunami: Economic Impact, Disaster Management, and Lessons. Asian Economic Papers. https://doi.org/10.1162/asep.2005.4.1.1
Blandi, L., Sabbatucci, M., Dallagiacoma, G., Alberti, F., Bertuccio, P., & Odone, A. (2022). Digital Information Approach through Social Media among Gen Z and Millennials: The Global Scenario during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Vaccines, 10(11), 1822. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10111822
Dinansyah, F., Susilo, D., & Berto, A. R. (2024). Live streaming commerce as communication media at Social Bread. Bricolage : Jurnal Magister Ilmu Komunikasi, 10(1), 093. https://doi.org/10.30813/bricolage.v10i1.4999
Djalante, R., Lassa, J., Setiamarga, D., Mahfud, C., Sudjatma, A., Indrawan, M., Haryanto, B., Sinapoy, M., Rafliana, I., Djalante, S., Gunawan, L., Anindito, R., Warsilah, H., & Surtiari, I. (2020). Review And Analysis of Current Responses to COVID-19 in Indonesia: Period of January to March 2020. Progress in Disaster Science, 6. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2020.100091
Dunas, D. V., & Vartanov, S. A. (2020). Emerging digital media culture in Russia: modeling the media consumption of Generation Z. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 15(2), 186–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2020.1751648
Ekadinata, N., & Widyandana, D. (2017). Promosi kesehatan menggunakan gambar dan teks dalam aplikasi WhatsApp pada kader posbindu. Berita Kedokteran Masyaraka, 33, 547–552.
Fatria, A. E., & Christantyawati, N. (2018). Pergeseran Merek Smartphone diIndonesia dalam PerspektifPostmodernisme. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi, 2(2), 256–277. https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v2i2.379
Gil de Zúñiga, H., Ardèvol-Abreu, A., & Casero-Ripollés, A. (2021). WhatsApp political discussion, conventional participation and activism: exploring direct, indirect and generational effects. Information, Communication & Society, 24(2), 201–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2019.1642933
Kanbach, D. K., Heiduk, L., Blueher, G., Schreiter, M., & Lahmann, A. (2023). The GenAI is out of the bottle: generative artificial intelligence from a business model innovation perspective. Review of Managerial Science.
Kemp, C. (2009). Event tourism: a strategic methodology for emergency management. Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 3(3), 227–240.
Lemy, D., Rahardja, A., & Kilya, C. (2021). Generation Z Awareness on Food Waste Issues (a Study in Tangerang, Indonesia). Journal of Business on Hospitality and Tourism, 6(2), 329–337.
Muniruddin, Hajji, Z., & Lauli, R. A. (2024). Participatory communication strategies for poverty alleviation in remote indigenous communities. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi, 8(1), 021–031. https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v8i1.8053
Nasution, A. D., Aslami, N., & Harahap, M. I. (2023). The Influence of Affiliate Marketing and Product Quality on Purchase Interest in Generation Z Tiktok Users in Medan. Indonesian Interdisciplinary Journal of Sharia Economics (IIJSE), 6(3), 1436–1448.
Nursanti, S., Utamidewi, W., & Tayo, Y. (2021). Kualitas komunikasi keluarga tenaga kesehatan di masa pandemic COVID-19. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi, 5(1), 233–248.
Prabowo, T. L., & Irwansyah, I. (2018). Media Komunikasi Digital PolisiKu: Pelayanan Publik Polri kepada Masyarakat. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v2i3.1174
Pradjoko, E., Setiawan, A., Wardani, L., & Hartana. (2021). The impact of mandalika tourism area development on the Kuta village, centre Lombok, Indonesia based on tsunami hazard analysis point of view. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 708(1), 012010.
Putranto, T. (2018). Kelas Sosial Dan Perempuan Generasi Z di Surabaya Dalam Membuat Keputusan Setelah Lulus Sekolah Menengah Atas. Jurnal Komunikasi Profesional. https://doi.org/10.25139/jkp.v2i1.841
Rospitasari, M. (2021). Youtube as alternative media for digital activism in documentary film creative industry. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi (Indonesian Journal of Communications Studies), 5(3), 665–692. https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v5i3.3779
Rue, P. (2018). Make Way, Millennials, Here Comes Gen Z. About Campus: Enriching the Student Learning Experience, 23(3), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086482218804251
Shaw, R. (2014). Community Practices for Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan. Disaster Risk Reduction. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54246-9
Srinivas, H., & Nakagawa, Y. (2008). Environmental implications for disaster preparedness: Lessons Learnt from the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.01.054
Susilo, D., Indrasari, M., Harliantara, Iristian, J., & Yunus, E. (2020). Managing uncertainty during disaster: Case on typhoon hagibis japan. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science.
Twigg, J. (2013). Characteristics of a Disaster - Resilient Community. In International Journal of Production Research (Vol. 7, Number 2). https://doi.org/10.1890/100068
Wahyuni, H. I., & Haryadi, F. T. (2020). Haze Disaster Discourses in Local Indonesian Media: Examining Niklas Luhmann’s Perspective on Ecological Communication. Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, 20(1).
Yanti, D., Heryadi, D. Y., Cakranegara, P. A., & Kadyrov, M. (2023). Developing rural communication through digital innovation for village tourism. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi, 7(3), 696–712.
Yoshihama, M., & Yunomae, T. (2018). Participatory investigation of the Great East Japan Disaster: PhotoVoice from women affected by the calamity. In Social Work (United States). https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swy018
Zhang, W., Wang, Y., Yang, L., & Wang, C. (2020). Suspending Classes Without Stopping Learning: China’s Education Emergency Management Policy in the COVID-19 Outbreak. Journal of Risk and Financial Management. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13030055
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Published
2025-12-30
How to Cite
Widodo, S. (2025). Is the broadcast WhatsApp group still effective for delivering emergency messages to Gen Z?. Jurnal Komunikasi Profesional, 9(1), 024–034. https://doi.org/10.25139/jkp.v9i1.11713
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