In Surabaya, Indonesia, about 3,000 children and teenagers are being treated for addiction to mobile gadgets and online games.

Meanwhile, a study released in February by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association showed that out of the 78.19 percent of the country’s internet population, 34.4 percent are Generation Z. Generation Z includes people born between 1997 and 2012.

The study shows that compared to other generations, Generation Z makes up the largest percentage of internet users in Indonesia, Kompas reports.

Earlier data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2022 showed that 33.44 percent of young children aged six and under in Indonesia used mobile phones or wireless gadgets, while 24.96 percent of people in this age group had access to the internet.

Dr. Ivana – a psychiatrist – said that gadget addiction can be the cause of deviant behavior in young people, such as emotional disorders, impulsivity and aggression.

Local news outlet Jatim Post in May reported a case in Jember, East Java, where siblings aged 17 and 19 were addicted to online games and only left their rooms to eat and shower.

The situation escalated when their mother realized that her children no longer recognized her or their father. The siblings were taken to hospital for illnesses related to excessive cell phone use and had to undergo psychiatric treatment for depression.

In June, a 17-year-old teenager from Blitar, East Java, committed suicide after his parents confiscated the mobile phone he was using to play online games.

Last year, Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) Commissioner Retno Listyarti said that mobile phone addiction among young people was prevalent in many parts of the country. In Jakarta, as well as in West Java, psychiatric hospitals had to open pediatric wards for the first time to treat children with mental disorders related to gadget addiction.

Ms Retno said children should play and socialise more, but the long COVID-19 pandemic meant more of them stayed at home and socialised only through mobile gadgets.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection said the government is currently finalising a presidential regulation on protecting children from online gaming, which is expected to be released later this year.

Mr Nahar, who is deputy minister for child protection at the ministry, said in April that the presidential order was issued in response to an increase in crimes such as violence, pornography, sexual harassment and bullying committed by children under the influence of online games.