Muslim Families Mediating Children’s Television and Internet Use in Indonesia

Abstract

Since Indonesia’s political transformation in 1998, its
media landscape has dramatically changed. The print media and
television industries have been flourishing. In addition, Internet
adoption has increased and broadened, as indicated by the
growing number of Internet users, service providers, cafes, blogs,
Facebook and Twitter accounts. Different sectors of the
Indonesian population have responded differently to this
maturation of the media landscape. As a religious community,
the Muslims are the most active and outspoken in criticizing the
Indonesian media. Even though the Indonesian Muslims believe
that heavy media bombardment has affected degradation in
moral and religious commitment, their response to the media has
been far from homogenous. Some Muslims groups, especially
those from radical Islam, are very critical of the growth in
pornographic content in mainstream media outlets. These radical
groups tend to use force to show their disapproval, such as by
intimidating members of the media. In contrast, moderate groups
prefer to campaign for media literacy education. Some members
divert their attention to their home domain, in an attempt to
control media usage within their homes. In this domain, parents
set regulations to control their children's media use. The parents
use the Qur’an, and the Hadith as a basis of reference to judge
the media. Parents also recommend media to their children that
are congruent with their religious belief and identity as Muslims.
This article attempts to show how Muslims in Indonesia regulate
the media within their home, and how their religious beliefs serve
as the foundation to set regulations on their children's media use.