Program Permainan Tradisional dan Edukasi untuk Mengurangi Intensitas Bermain Free Fire pada Anak di Jorong Kampung Tangah Barat

Abstract

Excessive digital game use among elementary school-aged children has become a concern in educational and community service activities. However, programs integrating education on responsible game use with traditional games as alternative recreational activities within community settings remain limited. This activity aimed to describe the implementation of education on responsible game use and the utilization of traditional games as alternative recreational activities for children in Jorong Kampung Tangah Barat, West Sumatra Province. This activity employed a descriptive qualitative approach with a participatory design and involved 20 children aged 7–10 years who were purposively selected. Data were collected through observation, interviews, documentation, and field notes and subsequently analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that all participants regularly attended the program and engaged in educational sessions and the traditional games of batu timbang, lore, and karet. During the games, the participants demonstrated physical activity, communication, cooperation, and direct interaction. The interview results revealed that the children continued to habitually play Free Fire, particularly at night, while traditional games served as alternative recreational activities in the afternoon. Parents also responded positively to the implementation of the activity. This program provided a practical contribution by offering alternative community-based recreational activities while reintroducing traditional games to children. Nevertheless, this activity could not quantitatively demonstrate a reduction in the intensity of Free Fire play because it did not employ a pretest–posttest design. Future activities should provide a longer period of guidance, involve a broader range of participants, and use validated measurement instruments to evaluate changes in the intensity of digital game use.