JAKARTA - Until now, efforts to create a child-friendly digital space have been emphasized on improving literacy. The greatest burden of responsibility is handed over to users, such as teachers in schools and parents at home.
In fact, digital developments cannot be controlled by users. The digital space continues to grow because it is the core business of the platform organizer. Therefore, the global movement is aimed at efforts to make platforms responsible, not only voluntarily but mandatory.
This was stated by the Secretary of the Directorate General of Digital Space Supervision of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Mediodecci Lustarini, in a seminar entitled Saring before Saring in the Multimedia Room of SMP Perguruan Cikini, Jakarta, June 4, 2026. According to him, this is what prompted the government to issue Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of the Implementation of Electronic Systems in the Protection of Children, one of whose objectives is to make regulations for platform operators.
"With the PP Tunas, the responsibility of the platform organizer for creating a healthy digital space is codified into an obligation. Parents are also helped. Many parents don't know that they can control their children with technology. Why? Because there is a gap between parents and children. We hope that this PP can bridge the gap between regulation and digital literacy," said Mediodecci.
The seminar was held by 10 master's students of the Communication Science program at Paramadina University in collaboration with SMP Perguruan Cikini, Jakarta, which was established in 1956. The ten students who were members of the Bertunas Digital study group, namely Alfaddillah, Ammar Mandili Lubis, Dewinta Diah Wismasari, Diaz Ajeng Pradila, Eben Ezer Siadari, Fajar Nur Rohmah, Ridho Ikhsan, Sheila Merista, Suryanto Kurniawan Putra, and Tajussarofi. The implementation of the seminar is the implementation of the three-pronged university as part of their study activities.
In addition to Mediodecci, appearing as a source of lecturers of the Master of Communication Science Program at Paramadina University, Dr. Tatik Yuniarti, M.I.Kom and Alfadillah, chairman of the Bertunas Digital student group. Also present were the Secretary of the Communication Master Study Program at Paramadina University, Wahyutama Ph.D, Head of the Perguruan Cikini Middle School, Sugeng Ependi S.Si, and Deputy Head of School, Zakiyatul Fikriyyah, S. Pd.
In his presentation entitled "Good Internet, Great Children: Becoming a Critical and Ethical Digital Generation", Mediodecci showed that internet penetration in Indonesia in 2025 had reached 80.66 percent with around 229.94 million users. Around 79.73 million are Gen Alpha children under 13 years old.
"Today's children live in two spaces at once, namely the real space and the digital space, and both of them equally affect their growth and development. Therefore, the digital space can no longer be considered as a mere entertainment place, but a child's living space that must be maintained to remain safe, healthy, and supportive of their development," he said.
PP Tunas, according to him, occupies a position as a safety belt, not to limit the movement of children, but to keep them safe when using the digital space.
"Tunas is interpreted as 'Wait for the Child to be Ready', which is the principle that children's access to digital platforms needs to be adjusted to their age readiness and level of risk," said Mediodecci.
The seminar, which was attended by 73 students in grades VII and VIII as well as 10 teachers and educators and 10 parents, took place in a familiar atmosphere. The students were enthusiastic, as seen from their spontaneity in telling their experiences using digital spaces.
Alfadillah said that starting from the social mapping (social mapping) carried out for SMP students at Perguruan Cikini, it was found that students spend an average of 4-6 hours per day in the digital world.
"This long duration makes digital literacy important so that what they see and experience is not just entertainment, but also remains safe and beneficial for their growth and development," he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Tatik Yuniarti emphasized that smart ways of using social media begin with the ability to choose. "We need to be more selective in determining the accounts to follow, the videos to watch, the information to be trusted, and the content to be shared. Don't easily believe in something just because it is viral, watched a lot, or often appears on the home page," he said.
Using social media intelligently, he said, also means being able to control yourself. "We need to manage the time we use our gadgets. If social media starts to interfere with learning, rest time, relationships with family, or mental health, it means we need to evaluate how we use it," continued Dr. Tatik.
After the seminar, Alfadillah explained that based on the results of the pre-test and posttest on the implementation of this activity, encouraging results were obtained. "There was an increase in the participants' understanding, especially SMP students at Cikini School, regarding digital literacy, risks and threats in the digital space, as well as child protection principles in accordance with the mandate of PP Tunas," said Alfadillah. Furthermore, the results of the seminar will be summarized in the form of policy recommendations and research that will be published in national scientific journals.
The Head of the Perguruan Cikini Junior High School, Sugeng Ependi, S.Si, welcomed this collaborative initiative. According to him, this educational seminar came at the right time in the midst of the increasing need for efforts to cultivate digital competence in the face of various negative impacts of internet use.
"We welcome the collaborative initiative from students of Paramadina University. We believe that this activity will be very useful in shaping the character of our students to be wiser, smarter, and ethical in disseminating and receiving information in the online realm," explained Sugeng Ependi.
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