West Java Governor Urges Parents to Limit Children's Gadget Use

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has urged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s lifestyles, including limiting the use of gadgets. He argued that prolonged gadget use threatens children’s health by reducing physical activity, which in turn affects their physical condition and development.

Dedi stated that a lack of physical activity makes children more susceptible to illness and increased emotional instability. He noted that diseases once commonly associated with adults, such as kidney failure and diabetes, are now being found in children.

“The future threat is not just malnutrition, but nutrition and sustenance that are not converted into energy,” Dedi said during a National Seminar and Declaration of Indonesian Health Sovereignty 2045 in Bandung on Wednesday.

He encouraged parents to involve their children in activities that require more physical movement. He also reminded them to monitor their children’s intake by limiting the consumption 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 problems, she can go to a shop or minimarket to get the food she needs during her pregnancy. We are currently formulating this because it is the state’s responsibility,” he explained.

He asserted that the state must be materially responsible for providing nutritious food, quality drinking water, and clean air. “The state must take full responsibility for all of this, paying attention to the material aspects of human development at every stage,” he said.