For subscribers
The real risk isn’t screen time – it’s failing to teach digital responsibility
Banning devices won’t solve the problem. Equip students to navigate them with care and purpose.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Digital distraction is real, but the greater threat is digital disempowerment, say the writers.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Tan Seng Chee, Shanti Divaharan and Chen Wenli
Follow topic:
A student scrolls endlessly on the phone, laughing at memes, chatting with friends and occasionally watching tutorials on science experiments or writing essays. Hours slip by, feeling like just 20 minutes.
This is a typical day for many teenagers and young adolescents. What feels like harmless downtime is, in reality, shaping their habits, attention spans and how they engage with the world.
