Bulungan Promotes Traditional Games to Curb Gadget Use

RRI.CO.ID, Tanjung Selor - The Bulungan Regency Administration in North Kalimantan is promoting traditional games and sports as a strategic intervention to reduce gadget dependency and social media activity among children. This movement aims to rebuild the character of the younger generation amidst the rapid influx of digital technology and high-risk online content.

During the 2026 Bulungan Regional Culture Week held at the Bundayati Botanical Garden, the Regency Administration organized a series of traditional competitions involving elementary and junior high school students from ten subdistricts. Bulungan Regent Syarwani emphasized that these activities are essential to counter the real threat posed by modern technology to a child's mindset and character development.

The initiative aligns with recent national mandates aimed at protecting minors in cyberspace, with Regent Syarwani highlighting two key legal frameworks guiding this effort. The first is Government Regulation No. 17/2025 (PP TUNAS), which focuses specifically on the governance and protection of children within digital spaces.

Additionally, the initiative is supported by Ministerial Regulation No. 9/2026, a mandate that restricts social media access for children under the age of 16 on high-risk platforms.

"I have instructed school principals and teachers to guard our children. We must ensure they are not easily poisoned by various types of content appearing on social media that could negatively impact their character education," Syarwani stated on Sunday, April 19, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

The administration views traditional games not merely as entertainment, but as a vital tool for social cohesion and heritage preservation. The primary objectives of this ongoing program include fostering social integration by uniting students from across the regency through physical activity and cultural exchange.

Furthermore, the initiative prioritizes heritage preservation to ensure that traditional sports inherited from ancestors remain relevant to the current generation. Ultimately, the program serves as a form of character defense, creating a healthy alternative to the digital world that promotes physical health and reinforces local values.

The Regent has called for serious mentoring from educators and parents to ensure that the shift toward traditional activities remains consistent and effective in protecting children’s futures.

Regent Syarwani’s approach is a direct local response to a growing national concern in Indonesia: the digital divide between cultural values and internet accessibility. By invoking PP TUNAS and the 2026 Ministerial Regulation, Bulungan is positioning traditional games as a firewall for child development.

By organizing these as formal competitions with regional representation, the administration is successfully adding a layer of prestige and community pride to activities that might otherwise be seen as relics of the past. It is a proactive attempt to ensure that while children grow up in a digital world, their foundational "operating system" remains rooted in local identity. ***