Mind the gap - income divide in children's use of digital devices

Study shows young children from lower-income families are spending more unsupervised time than higher-income ones on such devices, to their detriment. Their parents need help to bridge this digital gap.

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Covid-19 has highlighted the indispensability of digital devices in our everyday lives. From mundane tasks such as coordinating daily routines and ordering meals, to working and online learning, as well as keeping in touch with loved ones, these devices have made riding through this pandemic much more tolerable.

In families with children though, there is a constant struggle to strike a healthy balance between access and excess in their digital device use.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 17, 2021, with the headline Mind the gap - income divide in children's use of digital devices. Subscribe