SINGAPORE – At the start of the year, Mr Aaron Ho and his wife made the tough choice to take away their teenage son’s smartphone after his grades began to slip.
But as the school holidays approach, Mr Ho hopes instead to set clearer boundaries on screen time use upon returning the confiscated smartphone to his 16-year-old.
Having used Bloom – a physical keycard that locks and unlocks apps by tapping it on one’s phone – to curb his own screen time, the 51-year-old said he is considering using it to manage his son’s habits as well.
Setting clear boundaries is one of the takeaways from Mr Ho’s review of a set of resources designed to help parents foster healthy digital habits in their children.
Issued on Nov 1 by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the materials advise parents to set clear rules and parental controls for device use, teach children to think before they post, report inappropriate content, and hold open discussions about what their children are doing online.
“These four actions establish the foundation for children to develop healthy digital habits from an early age, paving the way for them to become discerning and responsible digital users,” said IMDA in a statement on Nov 1.
The advisory was developed in conjunction with parents, youth, and partners such as the Media Literacy Council.
Mr Aaron Ho with his wife, Ms Catherine Lee, and their two children, Samuel and Samantha.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AARON HO
“It includes information such as the dangers of social media, which parents might not consider before handing a phone to their children,” said Mr Ho.
Curbing screen time has been an ongoing battle for many parents here. Only 37 per cent of parents in Singapore feel confident in their ability to guide their children’s digital habits, according to the findings of the Ministry of Digital Development and Information’s
inaugural Digital Parenting Survey,
released in September.
The survey also found that 59 per cent of parents want more support from the Government in managing their children’s digital activities. The top choices were stronger legislation to protect children online, as well as digital resources and guides.
