More teens in S'pore are getting hooked on their digital devices

Children and teenagers cannot take their eyes off their gadgets and smartphone screens, which are fueling a problem of addiction and increasing behavioral issues.

- Syarafana Shafeeq

Counsellors and social workers in Singapore say more youngsters are dealing with various forms of digital addiction, ranging from excessive use of social media and the internet to countless hours spent on gaming and pornography.

They told The Straits Times that devices are here to stay, and it is almost inevitable that the battle with technology for children's attention will grow.

Touch Community Services, which runs a counselling intervention programme for young people struggling with excessive use of digital devices, saw about 111 such cases in 2022, up 58 per cent from 70 in 2019.

We Care Community Services, an addiction recovery centre, said it has seen over 20 per cent more referrals for gaming addictions post-pandemic, compared with pre-Covid-19 years like 2019.

More queries and calls from schools and parents about digital addiction issues have also been coming in over the past three years, it said.

Many inquiries are from parents seeking guidance and advice on how to cope with children who are showing signs that they may be overly attached to their devices, said We Care's clinical director Tham Yuen Han.

Ms Andrea Chan, deputy director of Touch Mental Wellness, said the agency has handled cases of youth who skipped school due to their gaming habits, threatened suicide when their parents turned off the home Wi-Fi, or ran away from home when their parents stopped them from gaming.

Cases would come to light when parents notice a decline in their children's grades, reduced family engagement or time spent with their friends, she added.

Dr Melvyn Zhang, a consultant at the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) National Addictions Management Service (Nams), said digital addiction issues, including gaming addictions and excessive digital device usage, are becoming increasingly pertinent, particularly among children.