South East Sulawesi provincial government partners with schools to socialise restrictions on children's social media use

Kendari – The South East Sulawesi provincial government is partnering with schools to socialise restrictions on social media use for children and young learners under 16 years of age.

Acting Head of the South East Sulawesi Communications and Informatics Office, Andi Syahrir, stated in Kendari on Tuesday that the socialisation effort is being carried out by strengthening collaboration with educational institutions.

“This strategic measure is a follow-up to the Ministry of Communication and Digital regulation that will be implemented nationally on 28 March 2026 to protect young people in digital spaces,” he said.

He described the regulation as a crucial preventive measure to safeguard children’s mental health and privacy security in South East Sulawesi.

“We welcome this regulation positively. It is the state’s effort to protect our children from age-inappropriate content exposure and the increasingly prevalent risk of cyberbullying,” he said.

He also explained that his office is working with the Education and Culture Office to provide direct education to students, educators, and parents about the technical aspects of implementing these access restrictions.

Andi acknowledged significant challenges in field implementation, particularly regarding the validity of age data and the use of technological loopholes such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

“The biggest challenge is ensuring the validity of user age data. Additionally, the disparity in technological understanding between children and parents in some areas of South East Sulawesi is also a concern for us,” he said.

He stressed that the South East Sulawesi provincial government emphasises that no matter how sophisticated the system created, the role of families remains the primary instrument for oversight at home.

Parents are urged to be more proactive in mentoring their children and not allow devices to be the sole medium of childcare.

“Ensure our children use digital spaces for productive purposes, not merely for unfiltered content consumption,” he said.