Minister of Communication and Digital: Indonesia Can Lead in Nurturing Life

Minister of Communication and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid emphasised the importance of Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection, or PP Tunas, in limiting children’s use of social media. Meutya revealed data indicating that the percentage of students considering ending their lives increased from 2015 to 2023. She stated that this is inseparable from the influence of negative content on social media. According to Meutya, the data was obtained through the government’s Free Health Check (CKG) programme for students in schools. “If we look at the government data from the results of the President’s programme, the free health check for children in schools, the percentage thinking of ending their lives increased from 2015 to 2023, by 1.6 times,” said Meutya in her speech at the CNN Indonesia’s The Big Idea Forum (TBIF) on Thursday (16/4). The Golkar Party politician said that this figure does not include the percentage of students’ attempts to end their lives, which also recorded an increase from 3.9 percent in 2015 to 10.7 percent in 2023. “So this is outside the CKG data, but the CKG data I don’t know, it might show something similar,” said Meutya. Therefore, Meutya believes that PP Tunas can address this issue through restrictions on children’s social media use. She said that PP Tunas is a form of the President’s concern to protect children from negative content on social media. Now, Indonesia has become the second country to impose restrictions on children’s access to social media, after Australia. According to Meutya, similar steps will be followed by other countries, from Poland, Italy, Greece, to Austria. “What does that mean, Indonesia can lead in nurturing life,” she said. Meanwhile, CKG data shows that 363,000 were detected with depression symptoms, and 338 children had anxiety symptoms. CNN Indonesia once again held The Big Idea Forum (TBIF), this time with the theme ‘Women’s Power: Nurturing Life Leading Change’. The forum was held at CNN Indonesia’s Studio 2, Transmedia Building, Jalan Kapten Tendean. Several speakers at the forum included House Speaker Puan Maharani, Minister of Communication and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid. Then as panellists, there was Deputy Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Veronica Tan, North Maluku Governor Sherly Tjoanda, scientist Prof. Carina Citra Dewi Joe, aesthetics and skin health practitioner dr. Ayu Widyaningrum, and Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti.