West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi Urges Limiting Children's Gadget Use for Health Reasons

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has highlighted the dangers of children spending excessive time on gadgets, warning of the impact on their health. He stated that prolonged gadget use leads to reduced physical movement, affecting children’s physical condition and development. According to him, children become more susceptible to illness and experience heightened emotional levels. Some diseases typically found in adults, such as kidney failure and diabetes, are now being diagnosed in children. “The future threat is not only malnutrition, but nutrition and nutrients that are not converted into energy,” Dedi Mulyadi said during the National Seminar and Declaration of Indonesian Health Sovereignty 2045, themed ‘Building a Healthy, Independent, Innovative, and Globally Competitive Nation’, at the GBI Bethel Summarecon Building in Bandung on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. He therefore urged parents to pay attention to their children’s lifestyles, encouraging activities that require physical movement and monitoring their intake of unhealthy foods and drinks, including those high in sugar. On the same occasion, Dedi also outlined the West Java Provincial Government’s plan to improve nutrition for pregnant women. “If a pregnant woman faces difficulties, she can go to a shop or minimarket to obtain the food she needs during pregnancy. We are currently formulating this because it is the state’s responsibility,” he explained. He assessed that the state must be materially responsible for providing nutritious food, quality beverages, and clean air. “The state must be responsible for all of this, paying attention to the material aspects of human development at every stage,” he said.