"Games nowadays make children more individualistic and aggressive. This is something that parents often fail to realize," she said during the "Media Talk" event in Jakarta on Friday.
She explained that children's behaviors that are inappropriate for their age are triggered by their habit of playing online games that contain violent content.
Many parents fail to recognize that such games have visuals that are inappropriate for children, leading them to imitate the behaviors they see in the game when faced with real-life issues.
"Based on our observations, it stems from parenting styles. Children imitate actions. They see many things in these games. I become concerned when I see my child playing a game," she remarked.
She emphasized the need for parents to adopt better parenting patterns and establish rules by limiting their children's screen time and selecting appropriate games for them to play.
Parents should clearly communicate parameters to their children, specifying which types of games are suitable and which ones should be avoided, she emphasized.
"Avoid merely forbidding children from playing games while permitting them to possess electronic devices and witnessing their parents engrossed in such devices in their presence," she said.
Lestariningsih highlighted the parents' responsibility to ensure their children's well-being, not only in terms of basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing but also by providing them with a sense of security, happiness, and comfort.
She said that most children enjoy listening to fairy tales and love to be hugged.
"Therefore, attention is crucial in parenting," she concluded.
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Translator: Astrid Faidlatul H, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Anton Santoso
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