Letter of the week: Raise children to be ‘human ready’, not digitally ready

I am encouraged that the Ministry of Health is taking steps to reduce children’s screen exposure (No devices for kids at meals and turn off the TV: Singapore issues stricter screen use guidelines, Jan 21).

There is also an opportunity for the Ministry of Education (MOE) to reduce this further. As a parent of children who recently started Primary 1, I’ve been introduced to a barrage of school-required apps, which do not seem to add value.

And although not MOE-run, some pre-schools, under the guise of “learning to code”, already introduce students to Minecraft, a gateway to games like Roblox and the adult-themed Fortnite.

Beyond their well-documented social risks, these games are designed to nudge players towards expensive in-game purchases.

When asked why young children must use these apps, schools cite the need to make them “digitally ready”. 

This reasoning is hollow – there is nothing to prepare for.

The real challenge today is learning how to detach from screens and engage with the world. Observe any playground or school canteen ^_ the decline in social interaction is already evident in children’s behaviour, speech and social norms.

Meanwhile, technology is evolving. Our children face a future where devices are worn over their eyes 24/7, where machines interact with one another to make decisions for us and advanced robotics require minimal human input.

Given this reality, the priority should not be making children digitally ready but rather ensuring they are “human ready”.

In a world that is becoming increasingly high-tech, humanity’s edge is in becoming more high-touch.

Benjamin Chiang