West Java Legislator Champions Bylaw to Restrict Children's Social Media Use

A member of the West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) Commission V, Siti Muntamah, is championing a draft regional regulation (Raperda) on restricting social media use for children as part of efforts to strengthen child protection amidst the rapid expansion of the digital sphere. In a statement in Cimahi on Wednesday, she said the proposed regulation is not intended to limit children’s creativity, but rather to provide protection so they can grow and develop appropriately for their age. She assessed that life on social media and real life are now almost indistinguishable, meaning the information conveyed by the media greatly influences the public’s perspective, including that of children. “Today, there is almost no distance between life on social media and real life. What the media conveys will greatly influence the public’s point of view. Therefore, the media must present educational information, validate facts, educate, and at the same time provide inspiration,” she said. She added that West Java has around 12.3 million families who form the foundation of regional development, so strengthening family resilience must be pursued from economic, social, educational, and religious aspects to produce a superior and competitive generation. As a member of Commission V of the West Java DPRD, she expressed her commitment to supporting the programmes of the Office of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning (DP3AKB) through budget strengthening and regulation. According to her, the existence of this Raperda is expected to serve as a foundation for creating a safer digital space for children amidst the increasing use of gadgets from an early age. The idea was also conveyed during a Journalists Care for Family symposium, which brought together legislative members, academics, and media practitioners to discuss the importance of creating a media ecosystem that supports children’s growth and development. Through collaboration between the government, media, academia, and the community, she hopes that child protection efforts in the digital space can proceed in tandem with strengthening family resilience in West Java.