Mobile app launched by MOE to get parents and children talking about cyber wellness

SINGAPORE - A mobile app to help parents and children navigate the cyber seas has been launched by the Ministry of Education.

Called C-Quest, the game app provides parents with a platform to discuss online experiences with their children. When opinions differ, the game prompts players to discuss their differences, allowing parents to offer tips on responsible web usage.

"Parents play a critical role in shaping their children's values, as well as in guiding their online behaviour, and monitoring their computer use," Deputy Director-General of Education (Curriculum) Wong Siew Hoong said in a statement on Thursday. "Through playing the game with their children, the ministry hopes that the app will serve as a tool to encourage conversations between parents and their children on cyber wellness."

Designed for children aged between 10 and 14, the game enables players to select one of three characters - Master Over Technology, Protector and Relationship-Builder. Players can collect stars, accessories and badges as they progress. The mobile app also offers cyber wellness tips such as the types of photos that are unsafe to post online.

"Educating a child to become responsible users of the social media through a game is definitely more effective than having a lesson on it in a classroom," said housewife Nicole Lee, 41, who has a 13-year-old daughter. "The game allows my daughter to be aware of the dangers in cyberspace. Going through the game with her, I was able to explain why certain behaviours are not acceptable and the consequences they may cause."

The app was developed as a tool under the revised Cyber Wellness curriculum in primary and secondary schools here. Implemented this year, the curriculum equips students with the right skills and competencies to become safe and responsible Internet users.

The mobile game app is available on Google Play app store for Android devices while the iOS version will be launched on November 1.

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