Gadget addiction is a condition where a person experiences excessive dependence on the use of gadgets, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices. This condition is increasingly common in this digital era, where technology is increasingly sophisticated and facilitates access to information and social interaction. Gadget addiction can negatively impact a person’s physical and mental health, as well as affect productivity and quality of life.
Gadget Addiction
Based on BPS data, the number of gadget users for early childhood in Indonesia is 33.44%, with details of 25.5% of child users aged 0-4 years and 52.76% of children aged 5-6 years. This does not rule out the possibility of triggering gadget addiction in children. Gadget addiction in children is a phenomenon that is increasingly affected in this digital era.
According to a survey by the Indonesian Child Protection Commission, more than 71.3% of school-age children have gadgets and play them for a considerable portion of the day and as many as 79% of child respondents may play gadgets other than for learning.
But sometimes this is not realized by parents, so that many children experience gadget addiction, making children who spend too much time in front of the screen often experience various problems, ranging from sleep disorders, decreased academic achievement to social and emotional problems.
Therefore, through the Real Work Lecture (KKN) work program of ‘Aisyiyah University Yogyakarta by group 35 Kembang Margosari Kulon Progo, we conducted counseling activities on the dangers of gadgets in children which were carried out on August 25, 2024 with the target being PKK mothers totaling 30 people.
There were 9 students involved in the counseling event, namely, Anggayudha Al-aziz, Fernanda Rosmayanti, Sri Wulandari, Melda Aura Chintia, Lili Asnawiyah, Nabila Yusriya, Julita Mutiara, Katrin Septia Rini, Panggih Alfarisy.
There are several impacts caused by gadget addiction in children:
- Physical Impact
- Vision Problems: Prolonged exposure to screens can cause eyestrain, headaches, and damage to the child’s eyes.
- Sleep Disorders: Use of gadgets before bedtime can disrupt the quality and duration of a child’s sleep.
- Obesity: Children who are addicted to gadgets tend to be less physically active and gain weight.
- Psychological Impact
- Depression: Kids who are addicted to gadgets are at risk of depression and low self-esteem.
- Anxiety: Dependence on gadgets can lead to anxiety when the child cannot access them
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Excessive gadget use can interfere with a child’s ability to concentrate on tasks at hand.
- Social Impact of Gadget Addiction
- Social Isolation: Children who are addicted to gadgets tend to withdraw from social interactions in the neighborhood.
- Poor Communication: The child has difficulty in establishing effective communication with the people around them
- Poor Relationships: Gadget addiction can disrupt a child’s relationship with family and friends.
Therefore, it is important to provide knowledge about the impact of gadget addiction on children and as parents must also pay attention to their children by giving time to play gadgets besides that parents can also play with children, and can also provide more useful activities for children.
Parents can also use a positive approach by providing rewards or incentives for children who successfully reduce gadget use and do alternative healthier activities. These rewards can be in the form of praise, small gifts, or special activities with the family. In addition, parents should set an example by managing their own gadget use wisely, showing that family time and non-digital activities are valuable.
With a consistent and positive approach, children will be more motivated to adopt healthy and balanced digital habits, creating fun and gadget-free daily routines, such as reading a book together before bed or taking a walk in the afternoon can also reinforce these good habits.
In addition, the environment and government must also pay more attention to the problem of gadget addiction if it is increasingly allowed to damage current and future generations. Hopefully, with this counseling, especially for parents, they can be more selective and pay attention to their children so as to reduce the number of gadget addiction in children.
Tags: aisyiyah, banggamenjadiunisa, beunisa, gadget, unisayogya
