Behind the excitement of the digital world and technological sophistication, Indonesia is faced with a worrying silent phenomenon, namely the increasing cases of speech retardation (speech delay) in children.
This condition is no longer limited to certain groups, but has spread to various levels of society, including the urban middle class who have been familiar with gadgets since early childhood.
Speech retardation is a condition in which a child fails to achieve age-appropriate language and communication development milestones. Data from the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) shows that the number of speech delay cases has increased significantly over the past decade.
The prevalence of speech delay varies across studies. Data from the Ministry of Health in 2022 indicated the prevalence of speech retardation reached 5 to 10 percent in Indonesia. In 2023, the Indonesian Association of Indonesian Children (IDAI) recorded speech retardation among preschool-aged children in Indonesia at 5 to 8 percent.
Meanwhile, other research data from 2023 also stated that the prevalence reached 32 percent of the Indonesian child population, and research at Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo General Hospital throughout 2022 found 65 children with medical records of speech delay.
One of the main causes is premature and excessive exposure to gadgets and digital content such as YouTube.
Gadgets, which are often considered an instant solution to distract children, a cure for tantrums, a surefire way to calm children, can actually backfire.
Many parents unknowingly hand over control of parenting to screens, such as educational videos, children's songs, or cute animations, which become their little ones' daily companions. However, instead of accelerating language development, this habit actually hinders the two-way interaction that is crucial for developing a child's speech skills.
When children stare at screens for long periods of time, they don't learn to imitate expressions, hear natural conversational intonations, or actively respond to their surroundings.
They become passive recipients because they only hear and see, not active communicators who react in return. This is very different from direct human interaction, which involves emotions, body language, and complex verbal and nonverbal feedback.
In the long term, speech retardation not only impacts communication skills but also has the potential to hinder a child's cognitive development, social skills, self-confidence, and even academic achievement.
