VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The phenomenon of gadget addiction or gameplay among children is one of the concerns at the National Children's Day Celebration in 2018. Though the use of the devices potentially dangerous to children's growth. This was conveyed by Professor of the Faculty of Medicine University of Indonesia (UI) Soedjatmiko to the reporters at Indonesian Ministry of Health Jakarta, on Tuesday (24/7/2018). According to Soedjatmiko, the device can be a tool that directs children to negative things, such as negative information like pornography and hoaxes, violent content that is inconsistent with their age, commercial information or advertising that can harm children and their parents, and the last is a game that often makes them addicted. He said the addiction of children to gadget is influenced by many things, including the influence of their own parents.

“Regarding the addiction to the gadget, that  is influenced by many things. First, an example from a parent, from the environment, from a friend.Second, the lack of control of parents, restrictions, and also less control of the environment, for example from school. Third is no solution he played what. Play what is more fun or just as fun as a gadget. Those three things can cause children addicted to gadgets,” said Soedjatmiko.

Furthermore, Soedjatmiko explained that parents have a very big role related to the effect of the device on children. Parents are expected not only to forbid their children from using the devices alone, they are also expected to reduce the use of the devices in the presence of their children. In addition, parents are also expected to increase the interaction directly with children through various activities that can stimulate child growth. Soedjatmiko said, related to the addiction of children's devices, the current awareness of the negative effects of the device has begun to increase among educators and parents. Gawai is now a prohibited item in a number of schools in Indonesia. Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection is currently doing a joint study with Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to prohibit the use of devices in children. (VOI / Rezha/AHM)