Too Often Playing Gadgets, Children Can Experience Speech Delay

JAKARTA - Excessive use of gadgets in children is now a serious concern, especially in the age of toddlers who are in the golden age of development. Instead of being a learning tool, too frequent screen exposure is at risk of hindering children's basic abilities, ranging from speaking to social interaction.

The lack of direct communication with the people around them makes children lose an important opportunity to learn to understand language and emotions in a real way.

Pediatrician specializing in social pediatric development, Prof. Dr. dr. Rini Sekartini, Sp.A, Subsp.T.K.P.S(K), revealed that excessive use of gadgets can have an impact on delays in language development and social skills in young children.

According to the Professor of Child Growth and Social Pediatrics of the Department of Child Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, in practice this condition is quite often found, especially in children who have been accustomed to gadget exposure since childhood.

"What often happens is there is a delay in speech and difficulty in socializing with peers," he said, as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, March 30.

He explained that the toddler period is a crucial period in the development of language and social interaction skills. At this stage, children need stimulation in the form of intense two-way communication with parents and the surrounding environment.

However, this need is often not met when children spend more time with gadgets. The interaction that occurs is one-way, so it does not provide a complete communication experience.

"There is no two-way stimulation with the use of gadgets. Children only repeat what they hear, voices or words," explained Prof. Rini.

As a result, children tend to imitate without really understanding the context of communication. If this condition lasts in the long term, not only language skills are hampered, but also other aspects of development such as the ability to socialize and learn.

In response to this, the Indonesian Association of Pediatricians (IDAI) supports the government's policy through Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of the Electronic System in the Protection of Children or PP Tunas.

As a follow-up, the government began implementing rules restricting access for children under the age of 16 to high-risk digital platforms since March 28, 2026. Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Thread, X, Bigolive, and Roblox are included in the supervised category.

This policy aims to protect children from the negative impact of exposure to digital content that is not age-appropriate and their stage of development, as well as encouraging a healthier and balanced growing environment.