Children under two should have zero screen time, says Indonesian Paediatric Society

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) is urging parents to implement zero screen time for children under the age of two to prevent developmental disorders.

The General Chairperson of IDAI, Dr Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, Sp.A, Subsp.Kardio(K), stated that gadget exposure from an early age can increase the risk of various developmental impairments in children.

“We advise that children under 2 years old should have zero screen time,” said Piprim during the peak event of IDAI’s 72nd anniversary at Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, on Sunday.

According to her, excessive gadget use is not only related to a reduction in a child’s physical activity but can also affect the development of communication skills and social interaction.

“In addition to metabolic diseases, there are also developmental disorders such as speech delay and even virtual autism,” she added.

Piprim noted that some parents still rely on gadgets to calm children during activities, making the use of electronic devices increasingly difficult to control.

“Parents are often happy when their children are quiet while looking at gadgets so that they can focus on their own social media, even though this can cause serious developmental disorders,” she said.

In addition to developmental issues, IDAI also highlighted the increasing cases of lifestyle diseases in children, such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, which are appearing at increasingly younger ages.

According to Piprim, these conditions are related to unhealthy dietary patterns and a lack of physical activity due to the increasing amount of time children spend in front of screens.

Therefore, she urged parents to limit gadget use according to the child’s age and to encourage children to be more physically active and interact with their surroundings to support optimal growth and development.