{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1601265,
        "msgid": "children-banned-from-social-media-what-about-digital-literacy-1773122132",
        "date": "2026-03-10 11:43:57",
        "title": "Children Banned from Social Media: What About Digital Literacy?",
        "author": "Danu Damarjati",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "Indonesia's government has officially prohibited children under 16 from creating social media accounts and accessing certain online games through new regulations, making it the first non-Western nation to implement such age-based digital access restrictions. However, experts question whether this ban will harm children's digital literacy development, noting that social media has provided educational opportunities and enabled new career paths for young people. Proponents argue that digital literacy education should continue through age-appropriate, staged approaches rather than complete restriction of access.",
        "content": "<p>JAKARTA \u2014 Indonesia\u2019s government has officially implemented a\nprohibition on children under 16 years old from holding social media\naccounts and accessing certain online games.<\/p>\n<p>The term \u201cdelay\u201d used by the government is regulated through the\nCommunication Digital Minister Regulation Number 9 of 2026 regarding the\nimplementing regulations of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on\nthe governance of electronic systems in child protection, hereinafter\nreferred to as PP Tunas.<\/p>\n<p>Communication Digital Minister Meutya Hafid stated that Indonesia has\nbecome the first non-Western nation to implement age-based delay of\nchildren\u2019s access to digital spaces.<\/p>\n<p>However, questions have emerged regarding whether restricting\nchildren under 16 from social media access will negatively impact\ndigital literacy development.<\/p>\n<p>Experts acknowledge there are positive elements within the policy.\nSeto Mulyadi, commonly known as Kak Seto, noted that many children learn\nindependently from the internet, including through social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have personally witnessed positive outcomes, for example a child\nwho can master a foreign language very quickly and fluently because they\nlearned from the internet,\u201d he told Kompas.com on Monday (9 March\n2026).<\/p>\n<p>He cited an example of a child born to Jakartan parents who do not\nspeak Javanese, yet the child became fluent in Javanese simply by\nwatching videos on the internet.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, Kak Seto views the internet and social media as an\neffective educational medium for formal, informal, and non-formal\nlearning.<\/p>\n<p>The digital world has also opened new aspirations and career paths\nfor the younger generation. Since the emergence of social media, career\naspirations have extended beyond conventional professions to encompass\nnew professions created within the digital realm itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of this is also due to insights and educational value gained\nfrom the digital world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>According to experts, children must continue to receive digital\nliteracy education from an early age, but it should be implemented\ngradually and in accordance with the child\u2019s age and level of\nmaturity.<\/p>\n<p>Age restrictions on certain platforms do not mean closing off\nchildren\u2019s access to digital literacy education entirely.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/children-banned-from-social-media-what-about-digital-literacy-1773122132",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}