- 16/10/2023
- Category: Press Release
Yogyakarta (13/10/2023) – In this era of rapid technological development, innovations in the field of information technology constantly occur. Not only among adults, but even children at an early age have already developed the ability to use and create various technological products. In response to this interesting trend, the Center for Digital Society (CfDS) UGM collaborated with Studio Kode at the Decision #08 event, entitled “TechWiz in Gen A: Empowering Future Innovators through Technology”. This event was held online through the Youtube Live and Facebook Live accounts of CfDS UGM on Friday (13/10). Inviting Kartika Dumasari, the co-founder of “Studio Kode”, Decision #08 introduced Studio Kode, as a digital start-up in the field of education that provides technology education for K-12 students.
To open the discussion, Kartika Dumasari discussed several crises, disruptions, and everyday problems that inspired her and the Studio Kode team to bring solutions to these problems. According to Dumasari, the pandemic crisis is a momentum that massively increases the number of technology usage. In 2020, the number of technology usage increased rapidly, especially among children. However, the increase in technology usage was not complemented by adequate parental supervision. She explained that more than 60 percent of Indonesian children are exposed to pornographic content obtained through digital platforms.
Thus, it is important to develop awareness of both sides of the impact of technology, both the positive and the negative. As the positive impact, technology can provide diverse information, be a source for learning digital skills, and enable global collaboration. Meanwhile, as the negative impact, technology can be a distraction, a source of exposure to negative content, a source of personal data security threats, and a cause of social isolation.
In her presentation, Dumasari discussed how Studio Kode can become a solution for several groups of people. For instance, for children, Studio Kode can be a solution by becoming a tool for learning about digital transformation from an early age. For parents, Studio Kode is a solution by becoming a tool that supports parents in teaching their children about using technology wisely and usefully. Moreover, Studio Kode also aspires to participate in solving global issues with its aim to contribute to SDGs number 4, 5, and 8. As a technology education platform, Studio Kode provides a variety of programs for parents and schools, where children can not only understand how to use various kinds of software, but also be trained to be proficient in the required technological skills, such as “My First Coding Camp” program, which is recommended for children aged 3-7 years old.
In the discussion session, Dumasari said that parents ought to have an awareness when providing access to technology exposure to their children, which is with control and restrictions. “Start ‘weaning’ the children, parents need to start familiarizing not making gadgets the only solution to problems experienced by our children. If it has already happened, parents can enforce a gadget detox. It can start for one day, three days, or several months,” said Dumasari. She also emphasized the important role of parents in monitoring their children’s access to digital content and directing their children to use technology positively and fruitfully.
In parents’ and educators’ efforts to habituate the fruitful use of technology, Studio Kode was created to help parents and children, so that children can navigate technological developments, and become more adaptive and creative in using technology. With the skills trained with Studio Kode, Dumasari hopes that children can create solutions that are aligned with the goals of the SDGs.
