Parents Must Limit Gadget Use, Psychologist Emphasises Importance of Real-World Child Interaction
Jakarta – Early childhood exposure to gadgets and social media is increasingly recognised as requiring strict limitation due to its potential to impede child development, particularly in social, emotional, and motor aspects.
Rose Mini Agoes Salim, Professor at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Indonesia, emphasises that children require direct stimulation through real-world interaction rather than digital screens.
During early childhood development stages, children need concrete experiences to build cognitive and social capabilities. “Children must receive direct stimulation. For example, they need to understand that having friends is something remarkable,” Rose stated when contacted by Kompas.com on Monday (16 March 2026).
According to Rose, the stimulation children require must be concrete and capable of promoting balanced cognitive, emotional, and socio-emotional development. She also stressed the importance of physical and motor activities in children’s daily routines.
“If they use social media or online games, those skills are not properly developed. Therefore, they should engage in these activities in tangible form,” Rose explained.
Beyond developmental impacts, unsupervised gadget use creates digital crime risks, including online predation. Rose cautioned that such threats can target children across all age groups, making parental supervision crucial.
“Parental guidance is therefore extremely important. For instance, certain platforms enable connectivity between parents and what their children access,” Rose noted.
She elaborated that if children wish to access specific features, they must first request permission from parents. She added that if features are used excessively, the platform may block access.
Fitri, a 32-year-old mother from South Tangerang, exemplifies this approach by choosing not to provide a smartphone to her eight-year-old son, Bisma. This decision aimed to prevent health risks and digital security threats.
“Bisma used to have a mobile phone. It broke when he played with it. Honestly, I’m the type of parent who doesn’t want to give phones. I’m worried about his eyesight and concerned about dangerous people,” Fitri said when interviewed by Kompas.com on Monday.
She noted that gadget use allows others to track location, view photos, and monitor conversations.