The Speaker Of The House Of Representatives Regarding The Prohibition Of The Roblox Game: Children's Digital Literacy Reform Must Be Accompanied

JAKARTA - DPR Speaker Puan Maharani assessed that the ban on the Roblox game must be accompanied by reforms and a systemic and sustainable digital literacy strategy.

This was conveyed by Puan in response to the statement of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen), Abdul Mu'ti, who forbade students to play the recent Roblox game.

"Today's challenge is how to equip children with critical and protective abilities from an early age in the midst of a flood of digital content. So it is necessary to reform digital literacy of children in the midst of rampant content that is often not suitable for children but can be easily accessed by them," said Puan in her statement, Thursday, August 7.

Puan said Indonesia needs a comprehensive approach in increasing children's digital literacy. He considered that the prohibition against certain digital platforms or games needed to be accompanied by education that included three key elements, namely children, parents, and educators.

"Children must be understood, not just prevented. Parents and teachers also need to be equipped with the ability to guide their children in facing digital content, not just supervising," said Puan.

The former Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture also encouraged the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to immediately establish cross-sectoral partnerships including with Komdigi, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI). Puan emphasized the importance of an integrated system to provide protection for children in the digital space.

"I encourage the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education not to run alone. There must be cross-sectoral partnerships including with Komdigi, KPAI, and technology industry players to design National Guidelines for Child Protection in the Digital Space comprehensively and applicatively," said Puan.

Puan also emphasized the DPR's commitment to support these efforts, either through legislative support or budgeting so that child protection policies in the digital world do not stop at sectoral instructions alone.

"If digital space is the future of our children, then the state should not be absent from the responsibility of forming it. Not only prohibiting it, but preparing them to become smart, critical, and safe digital users," concluded Puan.