Parents Play Vital Role in Protecting Children from Hoax, Cabinet Secretary Says

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung in an interview in commemoration of the 2018 Indonesian National Children’s Day on 23 July, at his office, Jakarta (Photo: PR/Rahmat)

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung asserted that digital age is inevitable, and children should be introduced to digital world.

However, the Cabinet Secretary reminded all about the role of parents in protecting children from hoaxes.

“There must be parental supervision because information in this digital age is widely spread; thus, hoax and our unpreparedness in filtering all information become a problem,” Pramono Anung said in an interview in commemoration of the 2018 Indonesian National Children’s Day on 23 July, at his office, Jakarta.

Pramono mentioned that currently, most children spend their time with gadgets, so they do not socialize with their peers. According to him, this is also our concerns.

Although digital age is inevitable, Pramono reminded all the importance of peer relationships for children. He added that besides learning, playing with their peers is also important for the development of children. Not to mention that subjects taught at school is too much for children.

Therefore, Pramono added, the President has instructed Minister of Education and Culture to reduce students’ load  (subject tasks, red).

“(Thus, red) Children can play traditional games, understand digital world, and always be happy. Because they should be happy in their childhood, do not make them down,” the Cabinet Secretary said adding that as the children’s growing up, they will bear more burden.

“Once again, we should make best use of technology; technology must not add our burden,” Pramono firmly said.

Talking about experience in guarding children, Pramono said that his children were grown up as millenials in the digital era. Therefore, he tried to understand his children’s mind.

“Parents indeed must know what are the basic needs of their child, because children and parents may have different ways of thinking due to the exposure of technology,” Pramono added.

For that reason, the Cabinet Secretary admitted that he allowed his children to engage in digital world, but he provided some guides of the dos and the don’ts. It is because accessing information in this digital age is very simple, only by using a click; children may also access something that is not suitable for their age. That are the guides, Pramono added.

“But once again, parents must trust their children, not only forbid them but also guide and supervise them. In several cases, parents must be able to give solutions. Because our children and us are very different,” the Cabinet Secretary said.

Previously, Pramono asserted that the Government and the State have tried to provide protection to the children. However, he admitted that it is still not enough given there are always children who become the victims of economic, and educational problems of the nation. This is the obligation of the country to protect the future and development of our less fortunate children.

One thing that becomes the major concern of the Government right now is to overcome stunting. The Cabinet Secretary mentioned that the Government pays serious attention to that matter. The World Bank also helps Indonesia to decrease the rate of stunting.

“Neverthless, the future of this nation lies on the children. If they are healthy, have good education and nutrition, (it means) they are protected by the country. I believe our nation is a nation that is promising to become one of the world’s great nations,” Pramono said adding that if the children are prepared to have better nutrition, education, and perspective of their own country, they will become a better person. (DNA/RAH/ES) (RAS/MMB/Naster)