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Indonesia mulling social media ban for children
Indonesia could become the next country to legislate a ban on social media use for minors, following rising concerns regarding the technology's impact on children's mental health.
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A teenager uses a smartphone to access social media on Jan. 31, 2024, in New York City, the United States. (Getty Images via AFP/Spencer Platt)
T
he Indonesian government says it might follow suit after Australia’s recent decision to ban social media use for children under 16.
Mental Health Director Imran Pambudi of the Health Ministry said the government might assess whether imposing such a ban was necessary, but said this would not happen overnight.
“It takes at least three years [before implementation],” he told a discussion on Friday, as quoted by Katadata.co.id, noting that parents were currently responsible for monitoring their children’s social media use.
Read also: Govt revisits plan for ‘social media council’
Children’s mental health has become a focus in recent years.
In 2023, the Indonesia National Adolescent Mental Health Survey (I-NAMHS) found that 34.9 percent of the country’s teenagers, or around 15.5 million, had dealt with a mental health issue in the 12 months prior to the survey. It also found that anxiety was the most commonly experienced issue among the respondents.
Meanwhile, only 2.6 percent of those teens with mental health problems had accessed counseling services or support groups in the 12 months leading up to the study. And of these, 38.2 percent said they received support through their schools, such as teachers or school counselors.
