Indonesian kids fear losing learning, joy under social media ban

Kalam, an 11-year-old from Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia, usually spends one to two hours on weekends playing with his friends on Roblox, a popular sandbox platform for all ages, where he enjoys adventure and car racing games.

But as of March 29, he and some 70 million Indonesians under 16 will lose access to Roblox and seven other platforms, as the government restricts child users' access to digital applications deemed as posing "high risks" for children's safety.

"If I can't play Roblox anymore, I would feel a bit sad," Kalam said.

The restriction, formalized in the regulation on child protection in digital space, or PP Tunas, passed in 2025, could also affect Kalam's studies, as the fifth-grader relies on YouTube to find learning references.

When asked what he would do if he lost access to the video-sharing application, Kalam replied: "I don't know. Maybe my teacher will have to send the videos through WhatsApp." Another alternative would be doing assignments without looking for any external references, he added.

As regards entertainment apps, Kalam said he would switch to another sandbox game Minecraft or explore other video games.

Roblox and YouTube, alongside Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X and Bigo Live are subject to restrictions and are required to deactivate accounts owned by users younger than 16 years old starting March 29.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Rasya reacted strongly to the restrictions. The junior high school student, also from Bekasi, uses YouTube and Instagram to find math tutorials, practice English and Mandarin as well as look for scholarship information.

"Nowadays, we all use phones and the internet to look for information," he said. "If it's blocked it will be difficult for us to learn online."

He was also worried about losing interaction with his friends, as Rasya and his schoolmates usually play Roblox on weekends, making use of the platform's policy that only allows real-time chat for users of the same age group.

"If the game is blocked, I will feel lonely because I don't know who to play with anymore."

Finding substitutes

Amid children's concerns over losing entertainment and learning sources amid the restrictions, parents are seeking alternatives and guidance to ease the impact.

Rasya's mother Diska Paramita supported the ban as she felt online games had a negative influence on her children.

"After playing games, my children picked up inappropriate words and became more aggressive," the 38-year-old homemaker said, adding that she found harsh language and violent content on Roblox.

After learning about the ban last year, she enrolled Rasya in a basketball club, so her son could spend his free time on other activities.

Diska said oversight features are absent on some platforms, which her 10-year-old daughter prefers, prompting her to support tighter rules on the platform.

Besides restrictions, she argued parents could benefit from more guidance from officials on video games and social media, as well as their potential hazards to better protect their children.

"If the government makes such regulations, maybe they could also go to schools to educate both parents and children about it."

Digital communications expert Firman Kurniawan from the University of Indonesia warned that a blanket ban on digital platforms may push children to riskier alternatives, while removing potential and underexplored benefits.

"What is needed is regulation to introduce digital platforms to children at an appropriate age, so their use can be productive for educational purposes," he said.

Compliance

As PP Tunas comes into effect on March 29, platforms have been scrambling to comply with the regulation.

Reyner Evan Yokohadinata, who represents Roblox in Indonesia, said the platform would comply with PP Tunas by "introducing additional controls for content and communication features for players under 16".

A Google representative said it was reviewing the regulation to ensure it supports YouTube's goal of protecting children's safety, empowering parents and "preserving access to learning for millions of Indonesians".

Berni Moestafa, Meta's head of public policy for Indonesia and the Philippines, said it was willing to cooperate with the government. The platform has also set accounts owned by Indonesian teens on Facebook and Instagram into the Teen Accounts feature, which "provides a low-risk experience".

The feature comes with default protections, including setting accounts to private, blocking messages from unknown users and banning Instagram Live without parental consent.

In an undated statement, X said it would prohibit users under 16 once PP Tunas came into effect.

TikTok said it will "take the necessary steps in line with regulatory expectations" while ensuring the platform remains safe for teens.

Alexander Sabar, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs of Indonesia's director general of digital space supervision, was not available for comment.

He previously said on March 16 that the list of platforms subjected to restrictions could change based on risk assessment by the ministry.

The Jakarta Post, Indonesia