Psychologist Highlights Dangers of Gadget Addiction, PP Tunas Serves as Additional Protection

The bright glow of a gadget screen suddenly dims as tiny fingers are forced to let go. Instantly, the calm atmosphere in the living room turns into a scene filled with screams and hysterical crying, as the child cannot contain their anger. For many families, such scenes are no longer rare occurrences but part of daily routines. The phenomenon of children addicted to gadgets has drawn attention from various quarters, from parents and academics to professionals, including psychologists. On one hand, digital technology offers benefits as a source of information, a medium for learning, playing, and expressing creativity. The internet also opens opportunities for children to explore the wider world and develop new skills. However, on the other hand, uncontrolled exposure to digital technology without proper supervision can lead to various risks for child development, from declining eye and physical health to difficulties in controlling emotions. Quoted from the Instagram account of the Directorate General of Public Communication and Media (Ditjen KPM) on Wednesday (10/12/2025), one parent of a junior high school (SMP) student, Vera, faces the challenges of the digital world directly in daily life. “They are still underage, still junior high school kids, because of watching content like that (pornography), they want to do things that are not yet allowed at that time,” said Vera. Therefore, she welcomes the presence of Government Regulation (PP) Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Operators in Child Protection or PP Tunas, which is seen as able to address her concerns regarding children’s exposure to the digital world. According to Vera, PP Tunas can serve as a reference for parents who do not yet understand how to protect their children in the digital space, while also providing clear regulations for electronic system operators (PSE) to strengthen child protection. “I feel happy. With the existence of PP Tunas, in my opinion (it can) protect children (by) pursuing digital platform owners circulating in Indonesia to protect children in terms of data, indecent content, or whatever it is,” she stated. One of the main policies in the regulation is the delay of social media account access for children under 16 years old on high-risk digital platforms.