darulmaarif.net – Indramayu, 11 April 2026 | 10.00 WIB
In today’s living rooms, the sight of children immersed in screens is no longer unfamiliar. From waking up until going back to sleep, their little fingers are familiar with the device. Parents often complain: children find it difficult to focus, get angry easily when gadgets are taken away, and even start to distance themselves from social interactions. This phenomenon is not just a subjective concern, but a reality that is reinforced by various latest national research data for 2025.
Based on the results of the 2025 national survey released by the education and child protection research institute in Indonesia, It is recorded that more than 68% of elementary school age children spend more than 4 hours per day in front of a screen. Even more worrying, around 37% of them show mild to moderate symptoms of digital addiction, such as loss of control over use, sleep disturbances, and decreased interest in learning. This figure has increased significantly compared to the previous five years, indicating that we are facing a new crisis in the world of parenting: a crisis of attention and closeness.
Currently, the sight of children who cannot be separated from gadgets has become commonplace in every corner of Indonesian cities. Imagine, apart from research on education and child protection in Indonesia, Ipsos 2025 survey reveals that 87% of respondents support limiting social media for children under 14reflecting national concerns about increasingly rampant screen addiction.
When Gadgets Replace the Role of the Environment
Gadgets are not basically the enemy. It is a tool. However, when gadgets take over the role of the environment—replacing playmates, teachers, even parents—then that’s where the problems start. Children no longer learn from reality, but from algorithms. They no longer build empathy through interaction, but rather from instant simulations.
From a developmental psychology perspective, the child phase is the imitation and exploration phase. When what is imitated is unfiltered content, and exploration only occurs in digital space, then character development becomes lame. Children can be informationally intelligent, but emotionally and socially fragile.
Pesantren: Alternative or Solution?
In the midst of this anxiety, many parents are starting to look at Islamic boarding schools as a solution. The question is: are Islamic boarding schools really the answer to gadget addiction in children?
Islamic boarding schools offer something that is becoming rare in the digital era: regularity, discipline and an intense social environment. In it, children live in a structured rhythm—waking up in the morning, studying, worshiping, and going back to sleep without excessive distraction from gadgets. Direct interaction with peers and teachers (kyai/asatidz) reshapes social skills that are starting to erode.
More than that, Islamic boarding schools also provide value education. Children are not only taught knowledge, but also manners, patience and self-control. In the context of gadget addiction, this is important, because the essence of addiction is not the device, but rather a lack of self-control.
However, making Islamic boarding schools an “instant escape” also needs to be criticized. Not all children are ready for a boarding school environment full of rules. If they are not prepared mentally, children can actually experience “culture shock” which results in rejection or psychological pressure.
Not Just a Place, But a Value System
Instead of seeing Islamic boarding schools solely as places, we need to understand that their main strength lies in the value system that is built. Discipline, limiting the use of technology, spiritual closeness, and intense social interaction are elements that can also be adapted at home.
This means that the solution to gadget addiction does not always have to be “sending children to Islamic boarding school”, but rather how Islamic boarding school values can be presented in family parenting patterns. Parents remain the main actors. Without their involvement, even the best environment will not be enough.
Finding the Middle Way
In the digital era, keeping children completely away from gadgets is not a realistic solution. What is needed is balance: between technology and real life, between entertainment and responsibility, between freedom and control.
Islamic boarding schools can be one way, especially for parents who want a drastic and comprehensive change in their environment. However, for those who do not choose this path, Islamic boarding school values are still relevant to internalize in everyday life.
In the end, the problem of gadget addiction is not only about children, but also about us as parents and society. To what extent are we able to present a more meaningful alternative to just a screen?
Perhaps, what is most important for us to think about is not “is Islamic boarding school the answer?”, but rather: have we created a living space that is warm enough, meaningful enough, so that children do not need to seek escape in the limitless digital world?
Hope it is useful. Wallohu a’lam.
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