Bandung – Addiction to using gadgets is not only experienced by people of productive age but also children. Even today, children as young as five years old are experiencing mental problems due to gadget addiction.
West Java RSJ Director Elly Marliyani said the problem of gadget addiction in children makes the age vulnerable to widespread mental problems. Usually the minimum vulnerable age is 15 years, but now it has become five years.
“It turns out that with the advent of gadgets, people aged 5 and 8 years old also experience people with mental problems (ODMK) due to gadget addiction. Previously, the youngest was 15 years old. We are currently handling that case,” said Elly to journalists at Gedung Sate, Bandung City, Thursday (10/10/2019).
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He said that this gadget addiction occurs because children are given too much access by their parents. This causes symptoms of dependency and causes children to become emotional.
“As a result, he was temperamental and couldn’t control his emotions. There was a case where when the lights went out, the child asked to charge his cellphone, instead he went on a rampage destroying the door, which was unexpected,” he said.
He said the role of the family is very important in preventing gadget addiction in children. They must be distracted by traditional games and socializing with their peers.
“Start with prevention at the beginning so that gadgets restore their function whether children have to use gadgets. According to age, they must be enabled to play with friends and traditional toys,” he said
He admitted that he did not have accurate data regarding people suffering from mental problems due to gadget addiction. Even so, it is certain that 1 in 10 West Java residents experience mental problems, including depression and gadget addiction.
“Depression is ODMK, 1 in 10 ODMK people are depressed. Gadgets are included in ODMK, I don’t have that (the data) to be exact,” said Elly.
(mud/ern)