Proposing a literacy model for early prevention of multiplayer game addiction and cyberbullying risk in Indonesia

Abstract

Addiction to playing multiplayer games via smartphones can contribute to the potential for cyberbullying risk. This issue represents an emerging preventive concern in education in the digital era, particularly as elementary school students are increasingly exposed to digital environments with varying levels of supervision. Rather than assuming that online gaming always produces negative outcomes, this study examines how multiplayer gaming, cyberbullying risk, and family-school supervision are experienced among elementary school children. This research was conducted as a preliminary study to develop a family-school digital literacy model for reducing the risk of multiplayer game addiction and preventing cyberbullying among elementary school students. An exploratory mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative survey data from sixth-grade students (N = 665) from five schools in each city with qualitative reflections from class observations and focus group discussions (FGDs). This study was conducted in Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Denpasar. The findings show that most students reported low to moderate levels of online gaming addiction indicators and cyberbullying related experiences. Moreover, the results from FGDs indicated that multiplayer gaming had become a normal part of students' social lives, while school rules, parental supervision, and prevention strategies varied across cities. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework, the results highlight that children's digital behaviour is shaped by individual regulation, microsystem factors such as family, school, and peers, and broader macrosystem cultural values. The study concludes that early prevention may benefit from a multi-stakeholder and multi-layered strategy that strengthens family-school digital literacy and supports children's responsible digital behaviour.