In the AI Era, Who Is Really Shaping Our Children?

The essence of the restoration movement is to build civilization and strengthen human quality. “Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?” This question has likely been asked by millions of Indonesian parents. Answers may vary from doctor, teacher, or athlete to content creator. But as time goes on, the far more important question is not what our children will become, but rather, who is shaping them today? In the digital age, children grow not only at home and school but also within a digital ecosystem filled with short videos, social media, online games, content creators, influencers, and now even Artificial Intelligence (AI). Technology is no longer just a tool; it has become an environment where children learn, play, interact, seek answers, and even form their worldview. This shift presents a paradox. On one hand, AI provides almost limitless access to knowledge. Children can learn foreign languages, understand scientific concepts, create music, write stories, and even discuss ideas with artificial intelligence through a mobile phone. On the other hand, technology competes fiercely for something incredibly valuable: attention. In the digital age, attention is the new currency. This is the Attention Economy. Whoever can hold attention the longest has the greatest opportunity to influence how a person thinks, feels, and acts. Therefore, the most critical question for parents is no longer, “How long does my child use a gadget?” but rather, “Who is capturing my child’s attention the most?” Because whoever shapes a child’s attention today is slowly shaping their future. This question becomes more relevant when considering research conducted on 900 junior and senior high school students in Tangerang City. The results showed that teenagers spend an average of five to six hours daily on the internet. More interesting than the duration was the purpose of their usage. The majority, 43.4 percent, used the internet for entertainment, followed by social media at 35.7 percent and online gaming at 14.9 percent. Only about 6 percent used it primarily for studying. The same research indicated that more than half of the respondents had reached a level of internet usage requiring attention, while about a third were in the category of moderate smartphone addiction. These symptoms are beginning to correlate with decreased concentration in studying and a preference for virtual interaction over face-to-face communication. These findings are not isolated. Various international reports, including from the World Health Organization (WHO), show a similar trend: problematic social media use among adolescents is increasing across many countries. On average, five to six hours daily means a teenager spends around forty hours a week in the digital world, nearly equivalent to an adult’s full-time work schedule. Forty hours. Imagine if a teacher were instructing our children for forty hours every week. We would certainly want to know who that teacher is, what values they teach, and what their character is like. Yet when the “teacher” is an algorithm selecting the next video, presenting the next piece of content, and constantly luring a child’s attention to stay glued to the screen, we often consider it normal. Without realizing it, every bit of attention a child gives is shaping who they will become in the future. Why is attention so important? Because attention is not merely about what a child sees daily. Attention is the gateway to learning. Neuroscience explains that the brain has the ability to continuously form and strengthen new neural networks based on repeated experiences, a concept known as neuroplasticity. The more often something receives attention, the stronger its imprint on the brain. What initially merely attracts attention slowly becomes a habit. Habits shape character. Character ultimately forms identity. It is no wonder that technology companies compete to create applications that keep users coming back. Videos play automatically. Notifications appear endlessly. Algorithms learn what we like and then serve content that is increasingly difficult to leave. In the digital era, attention has become a highly valuable commodity. The issue is not that technology is inherently evil. Technology is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used for good or ill. What must be realized is that every technology carries values. What we frequently see influences what we think. What we continuously think about influences the choices we make. Therefore, the greatest challenge for parents today is no longer simply limiting screen time. What is far more important is directing a child’s attention toward things that build up their life. In other words, the main issue is not how many hours a child holds a gadget, but who or what fills their mind every day.