S'pore to consider more safeguards around excessive screen time for kids

Move part of efforts to protect the mental _health of young people, says DPM Wong

- Lee Li Ying

Singapore will have to consider additional safeguards around excessive screen time and social media usage for children, as part of efforts to protect the mental health of young people.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong made these remarks at a gala dinner held at One Farrer Hotel to commemorate the 55th anniversary of non-profit suicide prevention centre Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) on May 4.

In his speech as the guest of honour, DPM Wong said there has been an increase in mental health concerns among youngsters worldwide. One hypothesis that has been gaining traction is that children are growing up with more of a screen-based childhood and less of a play-based one.

Some are already exposed at a very young age, when they are infants or toddlers. This can be a problem, said DPM Wong, adding that research in Singapore has been done before.

"Screen time during infancy adversely affects development of cognitive skills needed for self-regulation and learning, as well as socio-emotional competence as the child grows up. This in turn raises the risk of mental conditions, such as depression," he said.

For older children, not all screen time is bad, as it can be for productive activities such as reading the news, but instead a lot of screen time is spent on social media.

This can also be an issue for children during early puberty because factors such as the pressure to present a positive image online, stories that are designed to spark outrage, and cyber bullying can all take a toll on one's mental health.

Social media also makes it easier to access information that can lead to risky behaviour, or self-harm, DPM Wong said.