Forum: Parents must prepare for new digital risks
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On a recent family road trip, our car was soundtracked by a playlist of songs from KPop Demon Hunters. Even my youngest child – barely two years old – could sing along, having learnt the songs from her older sibling.
It sparked a deeper reflection in me. As a security and safety professional, I am keenly aware that influence is rarely direct or visible.
My eldest picked up these tunes from her pre-school classmates, who then shared them with siblings at home. No adult encouraged it, and no targeted advertising was involved. The simple melody and peer-driven repetition were enough to shape my entire family’s listening habits, reminding me of a core lesson: the most powerful forms of influence operate quietly, normalised through everyday interactions.
In security, we know that repetition and peer acceptance can help harmful content – from unsafe trends to extremist ideology – become “normal” before parents or educators are even aware. The threat now extends from playgrounds to digital spaces: with algorithm-driven feeds and artificial intelligence-generated content, cycles of influence and repetition move at far greater speed, and are much harder to detect.
The challenge for parents and educators has grown beyond teaching good manners or values in person. We now need to equip children with digital literacy and critical thinking skills: to ask where a message comes from, why it’s repeated, and whether it aligns with their values.
I urge parents to engage children in open conversations about what they watch or listen to and model healthy scepticism.
Watch for repeated messages or trends and discuss how repetition alone does not make something true. Children need to know how to spot peer pressure, whether in the classroom, chat group, or playlist. Shielding children completely is neither practical nor helpful. Music and stories can inspire creativity and build bridges, if consumed thoughtfully. Our best defence is not alarm, but vigilance and guidance.
By being proactive and digitally aware, we can help Singapore’s next generation grow stronger, and not simply absorb what the digital tide brings in.
Adren Sim
