Parents Become The Front Guard For The Form Of Smart Digital Literacy Children

JAKARTA - In today's sophisticated era, children grow up in environments surrounded by various digital devices that offer unlimited information. Therefore, parents have an important role to play in shaping children who are smart in literacy and wise in using digital technology.

The important role of parents is as the frontline for children in the digitalization era because to this day there are increasingly cases of violence against children, including sexual violence, which begins with digital content, especially social media.

Commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Kawiyan revealed that the data shows cases of violence against children, especially sexual violence, both directly and through digital media, the figures are still worrying.

"In 2022 there will be 4,683 cases, the special protection category for children is 2,133 cases, while the category of fulfillment of the rights of 190 cases. In 2023 there are 3,877 cases, 1,886 child protections are the highest for sexual violence, and 2,011 cases are categorized as fulfilling rights," he said in the Dialogue of the Merdeka Barat 9 Forum (FMB9) which raised the theme 'Child Protection in the Digital Room', Wednesday, June 19.

He further explained, of the thousands of cases in the last two years, there have been not a few perpetrators of crimes against children, mostly those closest to them. Kawiyan said, data from KPAI in 2023 showed 262 cases of violence against children where the perpetrators were parents. In this case, 153 cases of the perpetrators were biological mothers.

"This requires us to introspect and restore the function of parents as children's protectors," he stressed. Seeing the data, he also emphasized the urgency for parents to equip themselves with knowledge and technology skills so that they can become the right guides for children in accessing digital media.

Kawiyan also emphasized the need for concrete solutions to increase the digital literacy of parents. Socialization and special classes of digital literacy for parents are one of the first steps that are important for prevention.

"It is not uncommon for parents to fall behind in digital literacy compared to children. Therefore, concrete solutions are needed such as classes of digital literacy education specifically for parents," he continued.

In his view, parents are the front gate in protecting their children. Therefore, parents are obliged to take the time to accompany their children when using gadgets, discuss the content they consume, and instill moral values and characterizing values in understanding digital content.

Kawiyan also assessed that the government needs to strengthen regulations related to child protection in the digital era. Clear and firm regulations regarding malicious content, game classification, and child safety guarantees in the digital world must be enforced.

Not only that, in the development of the current digital era, children are like empty canvases which are ready to be colored by various information received from digital media. According to UNICEF Indonesia Child Protection Specialist Astrid Gonzaga Dionisio, the main key in protecting children in the digital era is to build a safe and protective environment, especially from parents and family as their closest environment.

"This can create a space where children feel comfortable learning, interacting, and creative without fear of online danger," he said.

From their perspectives, prevention is the main key in protecting children from the potential dangers of digital media content which often contains disinformation. Parents need to supervise their children's online activities, use parental controls on electronic devices, and popularize digital literacy education.

Meanwhile, in terms of regulations, he assessed that Law (UU) Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection, which was amended into Law Number 35 of 2014, and Law no. 12 of 2022 concerning the Crime of Sexual Violence has become a strong basis for protecting children.

Coupled with Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions containing Article 16A, the digital industry sector is also required to guarantee child protection in the digital realm.

Astrid assessed that the Indonesian government has also shown its commitment through various efforts, such as the Technical Implementation Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA) in the regions, to the Sapa 129 hotline service.

According to him, these efforts aim to increase awareness and education about child protection in the digital realm.

"The Child Protection Law and the ITE Law are an important basis in realizing a safe digital environment for children. However, regulation alone is not enough. The role of parents and communities is very essential," he stressed.

So the close cooperation between parents, the surrounding environment, and government policies that support them will ensure that children get the protection and education they need in the digital world. Through good digital literacy, it is hoped that Indonesian children can grow safely and become a generation that is ready to face challenges in the future.

Eddyko added that ATS collaborates with key onion farmers and the North Sumatra Agriculture Service in encouraging the adoption of the use of mineral-organic-based commercial fertilizers that can increase yields and also improve soil conditions and suppress environmental pollution.