Low digital literacy and limited employment opportunities are the main causes behind young people getting lured into online gambling, said Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh, the ministry's Deputy for Youth Empowerment, on Saturday.
"The transformation of society from conventional to digital has not been accompanied by adequate literacy. Many young people get caught up in online gambling for fun or are tempted due to their economic condition," he said.
According to data from the Financial Transactions Reporting and Analysis Center (PPATK), around 1 million online gamblers are students, most of whom make small transactions under Rp100,000 (US$6.11). However, when accumulated, the transactions reach billions of rupiah.
To tackle this problem, the ministry is focusing on increasing digital literacy and formulating alternative positive activities for young people to use digital technology productively.
"Through such programs, young people can learn to become content creators, YouTubers, or develop other digital creativity. For example, in the Friday Digital program, they are assisted in creating creative economy-based content," Sholeh said.
Moreover, the ministry has also held digital-based creativity competitions, capital access training, and motivational success sessions.
By building digital literacy and providing creative space, the ministry hopes that young people can divert their energy to positive and productive activities, Sholeh said.
He added that the ministry is also expecting that the young people involved in these programs would become agents of change and inspire their communities to avoid destructive activities such as online gambling.
Sholeh expressed optimism that these efforts, along with preventive measures, would reduce the negative impacts of online gambling, especially among the young generation.
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Translator: Putri Hanifa, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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