What is it about?
These days, many young children spend time with phones, tablets, and televisions. While this can be useful, too much screen time at an early age may affect how children grow, learn, and interact with others. Because of this, it is important to understand how much screen time children are actually getting. In Indonesia, there are still very few simple tools in the local language to measure this. In this study, we adjusted an existing screen time questionnaire, so it feels natural and easy to use for Indonesian parents. We then asked parents of children aged 2–5 years to complete it, to see if the results are consistent and reliable. Overall, the questionnaire works well and can give a clear picture of children’s screen habits. Some answers, like how closely parents supervise their children, may change depending on daily routines. Still, this tool can help parents and researchers better understand children’s screen use and support healthier development.
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Why is it important?
This study is the first to adapt and test the Digital Screen Exposure Questionnaire (DSEQ) for use in Indonesia. The questionnaire is not just translated but also adjusted to fit local language and daily life. It also looks at more than just screen time, including children’s habits, home environment, and physical activity. This study is also timely. In recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, young children are using screens more than before. However, many studies still use simple tools that are not fully tested, which can reduce the accuracy of the results. By providing a tool that is both reliable and easy to use, this study can help parents, researchers, and health workers better understand how children use screens. In the future, this can support better guidance and programs to help children grow in a healthier way.
Perspectives
Working on this study was meaningful for me because it connects research with real-life situations faced by families today. Screen use is now part of daily life for many young children, so it is important not only to study it, but also to provide a simple tool that can be used in practice. During this process, I also realized that children’s screen habits are closely related to family routines and parenting styles. Some answers, such as supervision, can change depending on daily activities. This shows that behind the data, there are real experiences from each family. I hope this study is not only useful for researchers, but also helpful for parents and health workers. More than just measuring screen time, I hope it encourages people to think about how children use digital devices and how to support their healthy development.
Nur Faidar Khusnul Khatimah
Tokyo Metropolitan University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Validity and reliability of Indonesian version of the digital screen exposure questionnaire (DSEQ) for young children, PLOS One, March 2026, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0346133.
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