Strengthening Child-Friendly Literacy: From PP Tunas to Zakat Rituals
“Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is a virtue,” wrote the philosopher Baruch Spinoza.
The era of digitalisation has brought a torrent of unstoppable information into everyday life, including for children who are growing up as digital natives. The ease of access to major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube carries logical consequences in the form of exposure to content not all of which is suitable for the psychological and moral development stages of children.
In this context, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) underscores the urgency of global digital platforms’ compliance with Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Operators in Child Protection, known as PP Tunas. This policy is seen as a crucial instrument to protect the future of Indonesian children from the threats of negative content that could potentially damage the morals and mental health of the nation’s next generation.
Child protection in the digital space cannot stand alone without being accompanied by efforts to strengthen a holistic child-friendly ecosystem. These efforts encompass creating safe spaces across various aspects of life, from the home environment as the first fortress, housing that supports healthy social interactions, schools that implement child-friendly policies, to media reporting that upholds ethics and child identity protection. Each of these elements plays a strategic role in shaping a conducive environment for children’s optimal growth and development, both physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Amid efforts to build this child-friendly ecosystem, religious literacy emerges as an equally important dimension to strengthen. One strategic entry point is through introducing the culture of sharing and social care encapsulated in the practice of zakat. Zakat, as one of the pillars of Islam, possesses rich educational value, not only teaching ritual obligations but also instilling social awareness, empathy, and responsibility towards others. Introducing these values from an early age forms a crucial foundation for building the character of the younger generation with integrity and high social concern.
Zakat rituals serve as an innovative method to transform theoretical understanding of zakat into practical experiences that leave a lasting impression on children. This concept is inspired by the popular and grounded hajj rituals in society as a method of introducing worship rituals through simulation and direct practice. However, zakat rituals have not yet gained equivalent popularity, despite their great potential to build Islamic philanthropic literacy from an early age. Therefore, more intensive socialisation efforts are needed so that zakat rituals can be known, accepted, and implemented widely across various levels of society.
This article argues that strengthening child-friendly literacy is not sufficient with just regulations limiting negative content, but must be balanced with instilling positive values from an early age. Zakat rituals offer an integrative approach that combines education, social practice, and character building into a single enjoyable learning experience. Through the strengthening of structured and massive zakat ritual programmes, it is possible to build a generation that is not only protected from the adverse impacts of the digital world but also possesses strong philanthropic awareness as a moral fortress amid increasingly complex globalisation.
From a public policy perspective, creating a child-friendly atmosphere not only reflects the normative interests of the state but also demonstrates the urgency of strengthening digital space governance oriented towards protecting vulnerable groups. Several studies indicate that exposure to negative content on digital media can impact the formation of deviant behaviour in children if not balanced with adequate literacy (Livingstone, 2014).
Therefore, the Indonesian Ulema Council, through an official statement, asserts the demand for major digital platforms to promptly correct their content governance. This demand is based on the universality principle emphasised by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, where Indonesia should not be viewed merely as a large profitable market economically, while children’s safety rights are neglected. MUI affirms its commitment to overseeing the implementation of PP Tunas to ensure that Indonesia’s digital space becomes safer, healthier, and more beneficial for the growth and development of Indonesian children.
From an Islamic perspective, protecting children from exposure to damaging digital content is an integral part of maqashid al-shariah, particularly within the framework of hifz al-nasl or preserving offspring. This foundation refers to the moral message in Surah an-Nisa verse 9, which reminds the ummah not to leave behind a weak generation, either physically or morally. Thus, efforts to protect children from negative content threats in the digital space are not merely technical policies, but have become a religious mandate that must be realised through state instruments.
The PP Tunas policy is also deemed aligned with classical fiqh principles stating that every leader’s policy must be oriented towards public benefit. Enforcing rules on global digital platforms is a concrete step in realising public benefit above global business interests. Furthermore, non-compliance by digital platforms with applicable regulations can be categorised as allowing harm that must be eliminated, in accordance with the fiqh principle that harm must be removed. MUI extends full appreciation and support to the government, particularly the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, for implementing PP Tunas, which is regarded as a constitutional and religious mandate to safeguard the morals, mental health, and spirituality of the generation.