UI Psychologist Warns of Digital Risks to Children
Exposure to gadgets and digital content from an early age is considered to pose serious risks to children, particularly regarding threats from online predators. Professor Rose Mini Agoes Salim, a professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Indonesia (UI), reminds that children are not yet psychologically prepared to face the complexities of the digital world.
According to her, each stage of a child’s age has different vulnerabilities. For ages 0–6 years, children are not yet able to seek appropriate stimulation or manage emotions. Meanwhile, for ages 7–12 years, children begin to be active in the online world but do not yet have critical thinking skills and risk assessment.
“Entering ages 13–15 years, children’s emotions have indeed developed more strongly, but their self-control is not yet mature. This is the gap often exploited by online predators,” said Prof. Rose Mini on Thursday (26/3).
She explained that perpetrators usually approach children subtly and build closeness over a long time, so they are often not recognised as threats. Warning signs to watch for include changes in the child’s behaviour becoming more withdrawn, often hiding gadget screens, unstable emotions, having a “special online friend,” and feeling scared when asked about digital activities.
“This is not because the child is naughty. Psychologically, they are indeed not ready and unable to protect themselves in the digital space,” she emphasised.
Furthermore, such behavioural changes are signals that the child is experiencing inner conflict and difficulty understanding and expressing feelings of insecurity.
Prof. Rose Mini stressed that prevention cannot be delayed. The role of parents and schools is very important in accompanying children. She suggested that parents build safe communication, set consistent digital usage rules, and be sensitive to changes in children’s behaviour.
These protection efforts are also reinforced through government policies, one of which is the Government Regulation on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (PP Tunas).
The regulation aims to protect children from various risks in the digital space, from exposure to inappropriate content, digital addiction, exploitation, data misuse, to dangerous interactions with strangers.
“Child protection in the digital world starts at home. Children who feel safe will dare to tell stories, and that is the strongest protection from digital threats, including online predators,” she concluded.
With the increasing digital access among children, synergy between family, school, and state becomes the main key to creating a safe and healthy digital space for the younger generation.
The Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI) reminds of the dangers of social media for children, from addiction to cyberbullying. Parents are asked to actively accompany digital usage.
The biggest challenge does not lie in technical capabilities, but in the willingness of platforms to comply and the accuracy of systems in the local context.
Amelia also highlighted crucial aspects that must be clarified, from age verification methods, involvement of third parties, personal data protection, to complaint mechanisms and sanctions.
Digital platforms must block accounts belonging to children under 16 years old; the first phase includes YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (Twitter), Bigo Live, and Roblox.
The government has officially restricted social media access for children under 16 starting 28 March 2026. This policy impacts around 70 million children in Indonesia.
The development of the digital world must be balanced with adequate protection systems for every citizen, including women and children, from the threats that accompany it.