Child Social Media Restrictions Must Be Balanced with Real-World Activities

Restrictions on social media use for children, particularly those under 16 years old, are deemed necessary but must be accompanied by the provision of more tangible and meaningful alternative activities for their development. Professor of Psychology at the University of Indonesia, Rose Mini Agoes Salim, emphasised that in early childhood to early adolescence, children still require concrete experiences to develop their cognitive, social-emotional, and psychomotor skills. Virtual-based activities are considered insufficient to fully replace these real experiences. “For children, especially in early ages, what is needed is not something virtual in nature, but real experiences. Because their cognitive development still requires concrete things,” she stated when contacted on Sunday (29/3). She explained that through direct activities, children can learn to manage emotions more comprehensively. For example, when experiencing defeat in a game, children learn to face discomfort, understand social reactions around them, and build mental resilience. In contrast, such experiences are difficult to obtain if children only interact through screen-based games. “If they only play games on screens, children are not trained to face the feeling of losing, how to behave when seen by their friends, or how to bounce back,” she said. According to her, this situation often escapes parents’ attention, who tend to allow children to access games or social media without adequate supervision. As an alternative, she encourages the reinforcement of traditional games that involve social interaction and physical activity, such as bentengan or gobak sodor. Besides training cooperation, these games are also considered capable of developing children’s motor skills. “Traditional games can actually serve as a good substitute. Children not only move physically but also learn to socialise and manage emotions,” she said. She also highlighted the importance of innovation to make these alternative activities remain appealing to children. According to her, if social media restrictions are not balanced with equally or more attractive activity options, children may feel they are losing space for expression. “If we prohibit it, there must be a counterpart. It should even be more attractive or at least as attractive as social media,” she said. The implementation of digital space access restrictions for children under 16 years old is considered ineffective if not accompanied by the provision of alternative digital spaces. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology encourages the 7 Great Habits alongside social media restrictions for children under 16 through PP Tunas to mitigate the negative impacts of the digital space. Several parents support PP Tunas, including Mia Santani, 36, though with some notes. PP Tunas is officially in effect, with the government pressuring digital platforms. A surge in child pornography cases serves as an alarm, demanding families to strengthen literacy to protect children. Appropriate restrictions, not total bans, can reduce risks of overstimulation from instant content, social anxiety from frequent self-comparisons, and exposure to dangers. The Indonesian Paediatricians Association (IDAI) expresses full support for the implementation of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 or PP TUNAS. Social media platform TikTok reveals a series of efforts to comply with the implementation of PP Tunas (Governance of Electronic System Organisers in Child Protection). The policy of restricting social media for children through Ministry of Communication and Digital Regulation Number 9 of 2026 is seen as an important step to protect children from various risks in the digital space. The government has officially restricted social media access for children under 16 starting 28 March 2026. This policy impacts approximately 70 million children in Indonesia.