A mobile application called Jagat has recently gone viral on social media, especially TikTok, which bears some similarity to Pokémon Go.
As quoted from Tempo, Jagat is known as a platform that allows its users to stay connected with family and friends in real-time. By using this application, users can track the location and activities of their closest people. However, what makes this application unique is one of its features called ‘Jagat Coin Hunt‘, in which users can search for and collect virtual coins (also known as ‘Koin Jagat‘) scattered across various public locations in several major cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya.
Each ‘Koin Jagat‘ collected during ‘Jagat Coin Hunt’ can be exchanged for a cash prize. The value of the coin prizes varies, with Bronze Coins offering rewards ranging from Rp300,000 to Rp1,000,000, while Gold Coins offer larger prizes, making them a prime target for coin hunters. Furthermore, the game combines digital technology with the real world, providing attractive financial incentives for its users.
Social psychology researcher from the University of Indonesia, Wawan Kurniawan, observed that when many people participate in games like ‘Jagat Coin Hunt’, others feel compelled to join due to social pressure or fear of missing out (FOMO). This, he explained, is one reason behind the current virality of ‘Koin Jagat‘. However, this trend can also strengthen collective behaviours that pay less attention to the impact on the surrounding environment or the potential damage to public facilities.
“Games that promise high-value prizes such as [Jagat Coin Hunt] can increase competition between players, which has the potential to give rise to conflict or aggressive behaviour, such as fighting over the location or blaming each other,” Kurniawan told Tirto on Tuesday, 14th of January.
Meanwhile, a researcher in the field of digital economy from the Centre of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), Rani Septya, noted that innovations integrating game elements and augmented reality, like ‘Jagat Coin Hunt’, are not entirely new. She drew a comparison with Pokémon Go, another app that became a global phenomenon a few years ago. From a digital economy perspective, the game’s popularity highlights the high level of interest among Indonesians in generating additional income.
“Why is this happening? It could be a correlation with economic conditions, such as high unemployment and low income, which forces people to seek alternative sources of additional income through games like this,” Septya told Tirto on Tuesday.
Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital, Angga Raka Prabowo, revealed that he had received various reports regarding ‘Jagat Coin Hunt’ and its potential negative impact on the environment and public facilities in various regions of Indonesia.
“In accordance with Government Regulation [Peraturan Pemerintah] No. 71 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Electronic Systems and Transactions, the government must protect the public interest from all types of disturbances as a result of misuse of information and electronic transactions that disrupt public order. If there are platform developers who violate [the regulation], then we will not hesitate to take firm action,” said Prabowo, as quoted from the press on Thursday, 16th of January.