Indonesia Health Ministry Calls for Action on Child Digital Addiction

Indonesia's Ministry of Health urged families to protect children’s mental health from digital addiction, emphasizing the rapid rise in internet use. The ministry reported 221.56 million internet users in 2024, a 79.5 % penetration rate, with about 28.2 % of users actively playing online games.

The 2022 Indonesia National Adolescent Mental Health Survey showed 34.9 % of adolescents experienced mental‑health problems in the past year and 5.5 % met criteria for a clinical disorder. Officials warned that addictive game designs and harmful online content can trigger anxiety, over‑thinking, sleep disturbances and mood changes.

Prevention measures include strengthening digital literacy at home and school, setting daily screen‑time limits (one to two hours for gaming), modeling responsible gadget use, and monitoring for early signs of distress. When problems persist, referral to mental‑health services is recommended.