'Hanging out' can be fun and safe, teens told<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Dugem, which is now popular among teenagers, can
\nbe fun and safe if care is taken, experts said.<\/p>\n
Dugem, which stands for dunia gemerlap (dazzling world), is
\nthe term used among teens for the way they spend their leisure
\ntime, either on school days, weekends or holidays, as well as
\nplaces where they like to hang out.<\/p>\n
It can be used to refer to their choice of venues, such as
\ncafes, bars, discotheques, shopping malls or other public places.<\/p>\n
Amid concerns that such a growing habit among urban teenagers
\ncan expose them to the dangers of drugs and AIDS, an activist
\nwith the Indonesian Aids Foundation (YAI) said the trick is to
\nchoose the right time, place and friends.<\/p>\n
\"Being responsible for yourself is the most important thing to
\nhaving safe and fun dugem,\" YAI program coordinator Mira Fajar
\nAvriati told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a discussion on
\nthe issue with about 150 high school students at Bulungan Sport
\nHall, South Jakarta, last Thursday.<\/p>\n
Most of the participants were shy about publicly admitting
\ntheir dugem activities, claiming during the discussion that they
\nwere well-behaved.<\/p>\n
However, outside the formal discussion, many were more candid
\nand some said that they have visited dugem venues regularly with
\ntheir friends, mostly on Saturday nights or on holidays.<\/p>\n
Mira also noted that there is strong peer pressure regarding
\nthe trend. Many teenagers dugem because they are afraid of being
\nbranded as \"unsophisticated\" by their friends.<\/p>\n
Mira pointed out that dugem could make teenagers more
\nvulnerable to drugs and HIV\/AIDS as they could meet people with
\nquestionable backgrounds, including those who could expose them
\nto drugs and sex.<\/p>\n
She noted that it is important for teenagers to understand
\nthat dugem does not actually mean they should use drugs, get
\ndrunk or freely have sex with their partners.<\/p>\n
She provided a number of tips on how to have fun without being
\nexposed to dangerous activities.<\/p>\n
Mira's suggestions included, choosing a place where most
\npeople were from the same age group; carrying an identification
\ncard; seeking parents' permission; always going out with
\nrelatives, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends; and wearing
\nrespectable clothing.<\/p>\n
Yasmin, a student from a high school in South Jakarta said she
\nlikes to dugem on weekends. She said that she will often dugem
\nwith her friends, with her parents' consent.<\/p>\n
\"Apart from relaxation, I can also meet cute boys,\" Yasmin
\nchuckled, adding that she always returns home before midnight.<\/p>\n
But Iva, another high school student, said she could never
\ndugem, especially at nights, because her parents imposed a curfew
\non her.<\/p>\n
\"I never dugem. My father won't allow me,\" she said. (07)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hanging-out-can-be-fun-and-safe-teens-told-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }