<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (B.P.S.) of Indonesia in 2023, the proportion of individuals who master gadgets at age 5-14 years is 36.99%, and aged 15-24 is 92.14%. In general, Indonesia holds the world record for the longest screen time per day, which is 6.05 hours per day, beating Thailand and Argentina.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n However, gadgets have become a part of Indonesian citizens’ everyday lives. The impact of the habit of playing with gadgets every day is that Indonesian people are also said to have low literacy and the habit of being too lazy to walk.<\/p>\n What about children? Referring to the data above, it is inevitable that children in Indonesia will also be exposed to the influence of gadget use and social media. The increasing number of cases of bullying among children and adolescents in Indonesia can prove this. Violent behavior, torture, and sexual violence have also occurred in our country. Recently, our country’s mass media was shocked by the behavior of junior high school students who had sexual intercourse in class, witnessed by their friends without any fear or shame whatsoever.[2]<\/a> This is something that, for Indonesian society, which is known to be very religious, is considered a very taboo thing.<\/p>\n This phenomenon is genuinely concerning. Technology that should be used to improve the quality of human life has destructive impacts. There has been a shift in culture and lifestyle, one of the leading causes of which is gadgets or smartphones. This shift has occurred since the end of the 1980s and stopped in the mid-2010s. Haidt, in his book, writes, \u201cThe late 1980s as the beginning of the transition from a \u201cplay-based childhood\u201d to a \u201cphone-based childhood,\u201d a transition that was not complete until the mid-2010s, when most adolescents had their own smartphone.\u201d[3]<\/a> That is why Haidt emphasized that the central aim of his book is to show how Gen Z is affected by gadgets and social media and growing anxious. Haidt insists, \u201ccentral claim in this book is that these two trends\u2014overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world\u2014are the major reasons why children born after 1995 became the anxious generation.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n This phenomenon is unfortunate. Without realizing it, the technology created to help humans is damaging the younger generation by making them anxious. Someone who is diagnosed with anxiety will experience what Haidt said: anxiety will affect the mind and body in various ways. Physically, anxiety is often felt as tension or discomfort in the stomach and chest. Emotionally, it appears as fear and worry, which can lead to fatigue. From a cognitive perspective, anxiety makes it difficult to think clearly, triggering unproductive rumination and distorted thought patterns such as exaggerating problems and black-and-white thinking. These distortions can worsen physical symptoms, creating a vicious cycle that reinforces anxiety.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n Haidt’s thoughts in this book provide critical awareness for parents, governments, and schools (including churches) about how dangerous it is for children not to be protected from the virtual world due to parental ignorance and lack of understanding. Haidt asserts, \u201cThe diffusion of digital technology into children\u2019s lives has been like smoke pouring into our homes. We all see that something strange is happening, but we don\u2019t understand it.\u201d[6]<\/a> Haidt invites us all to be brave and firm in taking preventive and curative measures against gadgets’ negative impacts on children. Haidt says, \u201cIf you think the phone-based childhood is bad for children and you want to see a return to play-based childhood, say so.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n Haidt provides four critical solutions to prevent and overcome this problem. The four things are: 1. No smartphones before high school, 2. No social media before 16 3. Phone-free schools 4. Far more unsupervised play and childhood independence.[8]<\/a> Why no smartphones before high school? Haidt argues, \u201cSmartphones are very different. They connect you to the internet 24\/7, they can run millions of apps, and they quickly became the home of social media platforms, which can ping you continually throughout the day, urging you to check out what everyone is saying and doing. This kind of connectivity offers few of the benefits of talking directly with friends. In fact, for many young people, it\u2019s poisonous.\u201d[9]<\/a> Delaying opening a social media account is also an intelligent move that Haidt offers. Haidt proposes, “Let your children get well into puberty, past the most vulnerable early years, before letting them plug into powerful socializing agents like TikTok or Instagram. Opening an account is a major step in which adolescents provide personal data to the platform, put themselves into a stream of personalized content chosen by an algorithm to maximize engagement, and begin to post content themselves. Delay that fateful step until well into high school.”[10]<\/a><\/p>\n In my opinion, Christian and church leaders should also read this very enlightening book. However, my criticism is that Haidt did not write or include a section on \u201cwhat the church should do\u201d as part of his book. In my opinion, many churches and their leaders are stuttering on this issue. Many of them also do not bother with this matter. This is a deplorable attitude. Generation Z and the next generation need the role of the church. Suppose I suggest that the author include this section in this book. So, the shift that we must make is from phone-based childhood to play-based, biblical, and familial childhood to present the next generation who are strong in God and who will become successors of families and churches that bless many people. This is the crucial task and responsibility of the Christian family and church, as the Bible says in Psalm 127:4-5: “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.”<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> https:\/\/www.cnbcindonesia.com\/tech\/20240225175344-37-517428\/warga-ri-sudah-kecanduan-parah-juara-satu-sedunia<\/a>. Accessed October 16, 2024.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> https:\/\/www.merdeka.com\/peristiwa\/viral-siswa-di-demak-berhubungan-badan-di-dalam-kelas-205523-mvk.html<\/a>. Accessed October 17, 2024.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness<\/em> (New York: Penguin Press, 2024), Introduction.<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation.<\/em><\/p>\n [5]<\/a> Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation<\/em>, Chapter 1.<\/p>\n [6]<\/a> Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation<\/em>, Conclusion.<\/p>\n [7]<\/a> Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation<\/em>, Conclusion.<\/p>\n [8]<\/a> Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation<\/em>, Conclusion.<\/p>\n [9]<\/a> Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation<\/em>, Chapter 1.<\/p>\n