The government was caught off guard and rushed to implement policies to curb COVID-19. Some evidence-based policies have transiently worked, including public activity restrictions (PPKM) and large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

It is a godsend that our technological advancement has allowed us to connect and perform our daily tasks through the internet. But will such a serendipity occur twice? The government had failed to mitigate a pandemic scenario, they must not fail twice to have the foresight of another possible pandemic in tow: internet addiction.

The internet has provided many benefits, but it is not faultless. Hidden drawbacks of the internet loom large, from cyberbullying and hoaxes to internet addiction. Internet addiction is the excessive, repetitive and compulsive use of the internet that leads to psychological, social and physical impairment.

As the government pushes for greater internet penetration in the post-pandemic world, policymakers should take a brief time to reflect. Digital media maneuvering should not be expected to come as naturally as one is expected to breathe since birth. It requires practice and guidance, just as much as one requires guidance to speak a language.

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) incorporated gaming disorder and other nonspecific addictive behaviors within the newest International Classification of Diseases. According to Kristiana Siste, head of the Psychiatry Department at the University of Indonesia and a member of the WHO task force on addictive disorders, the progress was driven by the ubiquitous health and social burdens from internet addiction among the global population, particularly adolescents.

The unease is mounting during the COVID-19 pandemic, with youths accessing the internet for extended periods.

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