Tips for Keeping and Educating Children in the Digital Age

SEMARANG – The increasingly widespread use of digital media targets a number of people in Indonesia. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic that hit Indonesia in the last two years. One of the phases of age that comes into being a digital media consumer is also at the age of children. Especially now that schools that were originally offline penetrated into online.

Muhammad Mustafid, Chairman of LPPM UNU Yogyakarta explained that it is not only pandemic factors that contribute to the number of children becoming consumers of the digital world. For him there have been a number of findings that say that children's consumption to digital media is even often ranging from their small environment.

"The age of introduction of children to the internet, including using it proved to be very young when the child was under 5 years old. The child's introduction to the internet is also mediated by his parents. And home is a location that is often used to access the internet," he said in a digital literacy webinar event held by the Ministry of Communication and Information for the people of Semarang Regency, on August 12, 2021.

According to him, the use does not matter if parents are able to keep their children in doing activities with the digital world. However, for him there are a number of problems that most parents do not understand. Even according to him some families even provide internet facilities and gadgets so that children are silent and do not interfere. Each is busy with the internet and its own devices.

"That's exactly what's going to cause some of the problems. Starting addiction, they meet people who might be able to harm themselves. They are exposed to content of social deviance, radicalism, terrorism. They are connected to pedophilia. Exposed to pornographic/violent/hateful content. Commercially exploited. Compromised privacy, connect with unwanted people. And bullied or bullying," he said.

Therefore Fitriana Aenun as Head of MTsN 3 Purworejo said in addition to parental insights with digital ethics and equip themselves with digital culture, in educating children in the digital world must have rules to educate children. He conveyed tips on educating children in the digital era By making clear rules of the game, parents provide examples (uswatun khasanah), accompany children when playing smart phones, monitor applications that children access.

In addition, other efforts can be done by providing children's knowledge of the basic values of Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as a foundation of digital skills in cultured, national, and state life. Digitalization of this culture can be done through the use of ICT and instilling the behavior of loving domestic products.

"Other values are also in the form of planting respect for others on social media, appreciating the work of others, knowing the function of social media, filtering information from social media," he said.

In other Racmad Pamudji Plt. KaKankemenag Semarang City added in educating children in the digital era also adhere to religion. Religious teachings that do not allow polite speech to not hate others become the key to education in ethical in the digital world. He also advised as a parent for him to be a teacher, mentor, the main companion in teaching digital ethics.

"We must be wise and put forward ethics in using information and communication technology or socializing. Have good intentions, promote religious values. Always remember that writing is a representative of ourselves, who is invited to communicate is human and conveys in a good way," he concluded.

Hosted by moderator Nabila Nadjib (TV Presenter), the webinar was also attended by Racmad Pamudji (Plt. KaKankemenag Kota Semarang), Eka Sugiono (Pratisi and Internet Marketing Trainer), and appeared as the key opinion leader was Tya Lestari (Mom Influencer). (*)