Digital Parenting Education for Strengthening Parental Roles in the Digital Era

Abstract

The development of digital technology has increased people’s access to the internet while also creating challenges for parents in managing children’s use of digital devices and addressing various risks in the digital environment. The need to strengthen digital parenting has become increasingly important as internet penetration continues to grow in Indonesia. According to the 2026 Internet Profile Survey conducted by the Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia (APJII), national internet penetration reached 81.72%, with young people, including children, representing a significant proportion of internet users. These conditions indicate that younger generations are increasingly exposed to the digital environment, highlighting the need for adequate parental guidance and supervision. Therefore, this community service activity aimed to strengthen parents’ digital parenting skills through educational activities as a preventive measure against the negative effects of technology use. The activity employed a Community-Based Participatory Approach (CBPA) and was conducted in three stages: preparation, implementation, and evaluation. The preparation stage involved coordination and discussions with Kelompok Kerja (Pokja) II of the Tim Penggerak Pemberdayaan dan Kesejahteraan Keluarga (TP PKK) of Surabaya City. The implementation stage consisted of educational sessions, discussions, and question-and-answer activities involving 10 participants. The evaluation was conducted using direct pre-tests and post-tests, as well as questionnaires. The results showed a 20-percentage-point increase in participants’ cognitive outcomes, while the overall community service activity received positive evaluations. These findings provide an initial indication of increased parental knowledge regarding digital parenting. However, continuous support is still needed to encourage parents to apply this knowledge in their daily parenting practices.