🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

The government response focuses on a symptom of heavy digital use

• High rates of gaming addiction sit within Indonesia’s broader pattern of intense digital consumption.
• Market researcher Sensor Tower said Indonesians spent about 414 billion hours on mobile apps in 2025, ranking second after India at 1.2 trillion hours. The US figure remains unclear and needs verification.
• That level of use helps explain Indonesia’s large base of gamers and mobile users, which increases the pool where problematic gaming can take hold.
• Komdigi offers DARA, a private counselling service, via https://adiksi.igrs.id or WhatsApp through the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS) number 0811806860 for children and families seeking support.

Heavy engagement can raise health risks and bring tighter rules

• High engagement goes beyond games. Health site Alodokter recommends limiting screen time, avoiding phone use while walking or driving, setting gadget free areas, and swapping phone time for exercise or reading.
• Komdigi’s DARA platform suggests a change in how Indonesia handles digital services, with more attention on health harms tied to heavy use.
• That approach can increase scrutiny of gaming and social media companies whose business models depend on longer time spent, as regulators treat addiction as a public health issue that calls for action.