ANTARIKSA Goes to School: UNISA Students Campaign Against Online Gambling in Yogyakarta Schools
Students from the Communication Science programme at Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta (UNISA) have organised the ANTARIKSA (Ajang Kreativitas Komunikasi) Goes to School programme, visiting a number of secondary schools in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The activity is part of an educational movement to raise students’ awareness of the dangers of online gambling, which is now increasingly accessible through various digital platforms.
Carrying the theme ‘Stop Clicking Start Living’, ANTARIKSA Goes to School not only includes socialisation but also opens discussion spaces for students to share experiences and views regarding the phenomenon of online gambling, which is increasingly rampant in the digital environment. They are given an understanding of the social, economic, and psychological impacts that can be caused by online gambling practices. The activities, packaged interactively across various schools, are intended to make the message more easily accepted by teenagers.
The Head of SMA Negeri 1 Sedayu, Suwarsono, appreciated the students’ efforts to go directly to schools to provide education to pupils. According to him, online gambling is a serious threat that must be prevented from an early age. ‘Online gambling is prohibited. From the school’s perspective, it is certainly not condoned,’ said Suwarsono when opening the activity.
Similarly, a teacher from SMK Negeri 3 Yogyakarta, Taufiq Afand, S.Pd., assessed that digital literacy is an important provision for students so they are not easily trapped by various offers promising instant profits. During the activity, students were invited to understand that online gambling promotions, which often appear on social media, are inseparable from marketing strategies designed to attract the attention of internet users, particularly the younger generation. ‘Children actually only know the enticements from social media, but they do not understand the actual algorithm,’ he said.