From Online Learning to Digital Alienation: Post-Pandemic Mental Health among Indonesian Youth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63822/v8w7f218Keywords:
youth mental health; digital alienation; online learning; suicide prevention; Relational Recovery Education Policy (RREP)Abstract
Indonesia is currently confronting a critical youth mental health crisis, marked by a disturbing escalation in suicide cases among children and adolescents between 2023 and 2026. This trend, corroborated by the 2025–2026 National Health Screening Program (CKG) which identified mental health distress in nearly 10% of 7 million screened children, is deeply linked to the forced immersion of youth into digital environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the long-term consequences of this forced transition by analyzing the relationship between prolonged online learning, social isolation, and emerging psychosocial vulnerabilities. Utilizing a mixed-methods convergent design, this research integrates primary data from a September 2020 survey, "Kisahku di Jaman Covid" (N=107), with contemporary case illustrations, including the 2025 SMAN 72 Jakarta bombing and tragic instances of student suicide in 2025–2026. The findings reveal that even in 2020, 74.6% of students experienced significant dissatisfaction with online learning due to social isolation, emotional exhaustion, and boredom. Over time, this digital-only interaction intensified screen dependency and eroded real-world social resilience, which, when combined with unaddressed academic and social pressures, contributed to the current post-pandemic vulnerabilities. Conceptualized as "digital alienation," this state reflects the normalization of fragmented virtual interaction and the erosion of communal social relations essential to Indonesian childhood. To address these systemic risks, this article proposes a Relational Recovery Education Policy (RREP), emphasizing the urgent rehumanization of learning environments, critical digital literacy, and the integration of robust mental health support within educational and communal institutions.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Tri Setyo Wardhani, Deva Alvina br Sebayang (Author)
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