How Social Media and Online Games Are Exposing Indonesian Children to Radicalisation?

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia’s National Counterterrorism Agency, known as National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), has recorded at least 112 students across 26 provinces being exposed to radical ideologies through social media and online games.

Most of the children identified were around 13 years old, raising fresh concerns over how extremist narratives are spreading through digital platforms commonly used by teenagers.

Deputy for Special Protection of Children at the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Titi Eko Rahayu, said violent extremism and intolerance propaganda in digital spaces had become a growing threat to children.

“Radicalism, violent extremism, and intolerance propaganda in digital spaces are becoming a serious threat to children,” Titi said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to her, radical content is now circulating through social media platforms, video-sharing applications, messaging services, and even private chat features inside online games.

She warned that digital radicalisation has become increasingly difficult to monitor because recruitment and propaganda often rely on emotional approaches and closed online communities.

The concern follows several recent cases involving teenagers allegedly influenced by extremist material online. One of them was an explosion case at a senior high school in Jakarta in November 2025 involving a student classified as a child in conflict with the law.

Authorities said the suspect had been inspired by extremist figures accessed through the dark web and participated in an online group known as “True Crime Community”.

Titi said tackling the problem could not rely solely on blocking online content or law enforcement measures. Instead, she stressed that families remain the first line of protection for children navigating digital spaces.

“Parents and the surrounding environment have an important role in creating safe spaces for children,” she said.

The government has introduced awareness campaigns, advocacy programmes, and early detection training for parents, teachers, and children to identify signs of radicalisation. However, officials acknowledged that such efforts still need to be expanded.

“Children today live very closely with digital spaces. Protection approaches must therefore adapt to the way they interact online,” Titi added.

Meanwhile, Indriyatno Banyumurti, director of the digital literacy organisation ICT Watch, said extremist groups continue adapting their methods to platforms popular among young people.

“Educational content must be able to compete with the massive flow of information on social media,” Indriyatno said.

The warning comes amid broader regional debates over children’s online safety. Malaysia is set to introduce restrictions on social media access for children under 16 starting in June 2026, reflecting growing concerns in Southeast Asia over digital harms targeting minors.