JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health emphasized that National Children's Day is an important momentum to strengthen the role of the family in fulfilling the rights and protecting Indonesian children and adolescents, including from the dangers of digital addiction to mental health.
Director of Vulnerable Group Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi, said the internet has become an integral part of Indonesian people's lives. In 2024, there were 221.56 million internet users with a penetration rate of 79.5 percent, and about 28.2 percent of them are actively playing online games.
"These figures show a great opportunity as well as a real risk, especially for adolescents who are the most active in the digital world," said Director of Health Services for Vulnerable Groups at the Ministry of Health, Imran Pambudi, in Jakarta, quoted by Antara, Saturday, July 25.
He explained that adolescents are more psychologically vulnerable because they are in a period of identity search, fluctuating emotions, and peer pressure. Exposure to content that triggers social comparisons, performance expectations, or addictive game design can increase the risk of overthinking, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
"National data shows that mental health problems need attention. The 2022 INAMHS survey reported that 34.9 percent of adolescents experienced mental health problems in the past 12 months, and 5.5 percent met the criteria for clinical disorders, a figure that demands a systemic response," he said.
He explained that the steps that can be taken now without waiting for policies are prevention through digital literacy. This includes educating children to understand the quality of content, setting time limits for use, and recognizing game designs that provoke excessive attachment.
"Second, early detection, parents and teachers need to be sensitive to signs such as a decline in performance, sleep disorders, mood changes when access is restricted, or withdrawal from family interactions," he said.
The third step is a tiered intervention, ranging from limiting screen time and setting healthy routines, to referral to mental health services if symptoms do not improve.
"Parents are role models for using gadgets, drafting rules together, for example, a maximum of 1-2 hours per day to play games, and opening a dialogue without judging, such as asking what games are played, who their online friends are, and how their experience is," he said.
In addition, schools must provide safe spaces, counseling services, and include digital literacy and mental health in the curriculum. Meanwhile, the government and health services need to strengthen screening and referral platforms, and allocate adequate budgets.
In addition, he emphasized the importance of providing parental control features, time limit reminders, to game design that minimizes the potential for addiction to help reduce the risk.
"If a child plays more than 3-4 hours per day or shows signs of risk, immediately do an initial screening and consider professional consultation. Take advantage of official services such as DARA for initial consultation and SATUSEHAT Mobile for self-screening," said Imran.
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