Expert: Social Media Restrictions for Children Require an Educational Approach
Purwokerto (ANTARA) - Communications expert from Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (Unsoed) in Purwokerto, Prof Mite Setiansah, believes that the policy on restricting social media for children must be accompanied by an educational approach through strengthening media literacy from an early age.
“Restrictions certainly have positive aspects, as digital risks such as cyberbullying and violence are quite high, especially for children,” said Prof Mite when contacted in Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Sunday.
According to him, the government’s social media restriction policy is an important step to protect children, particularly when parents cannot always provide full supervision.
“In practice, many people can fill in birth dates that do not match the facts, so restrictions do not always work optimally,” he said.
Therefore, he emphasised the importance of strengthening media literacy as part of the education curriculum, provided in stages from an early age, starting from early childhood education (PAUD) to secondary education.
According to him, children need to be introduced early to various risks in the digital space, such as hoaxes, violent content, and the potential for cyberbullying, so they have the ability to filter information.
He likened social media usage to activities on a busy highway full of risks, so children need to be equipped with knowledge of the “traffic signs” to avoid dangers.
“We cannot just prohibit children from using social media, but must equip them with understanding to stay safe when accessing it,” he stressed.
According to him, public facilities such as the Literacy Park in Purwokerto can be optimised to provide education on safe and responsible digital media usage.
He highlighted the importance of implementing fair policies, including for children of public figures who are active on social media.
“If restrictions are imposed, they should apply to everyone to avoid inequality,” he said.
Nevertheless, he reminded that restrictions also have the potential to limit children’s rights to express themselves and access information if not balanced with appropriate policies.
Regarding this, he affirmed that child protection in the digital space should be carried out through an educational approach that strengthens children’s capacity, not merely restrictions.
“Protecting children is important, but do not eliminate their opportunities to develop and gain benefits from social media,” said Prof Mite.
Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on the Protection and Governance of Electronic System Operators in Child Protection (PP Tunas) officially takes effect from Saturday, 28 March 2026, after being issued by President Prabowo Subianto on 28 March 2025.
Provisions in the PP Tunas that officially apply include regulating restrictions on access to digital platforms for children under 16 years old.
The regulation is expected to protect children from potential threats in the digital space, such as cyberbullying, digital fraud, exposure to negative content like pornography, and content featuring violence.
Meanwhile, the technical implementation rules for PP Tunas are contained in Minister of Communication and Digital Regulation Number 9 of 2026.