"We have seen the negative impacts of social media on children's mental health," he stated on Sunday.
He noted that excessive exposure to social media platforms has adversely affected children's cognitive development.
Sadikin emphasized that addiction to social media could lead children to engage in harmful behaviors, such as bullying.
He explained that such addiction could also obstruct the psychomotor development of children, causing delays, with speech delay being one of the most common issues in Indonesia.
"Based on the screenings we conducted, children with speech delays tend to spend most of their time on their devices rather than engaging in conventional social interactions with their peers," he pointed out.
Sadikin stated that the government's free health screening program would include mental health screenings for children.
"The Ministry of Health plans to offer mental health screenings for children under the program. We will roll it out soon," he remarked.
On Thursday, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid emphasized that a regulation restricting children's access to social media is necessary to protect them from harmful digital content.
She said that the government is in the process of formulating such a regulation in response to the growing and diverse threats against children on the internet.
"Ensuring children's safety and protection in the digital space is paramount," she emphasized.
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Translator: Sean F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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