S’pore launches nationwide movement to help families foster healthy digital habits

SINGAPORE – Parents seeking guidance on how to manage their children’s digital activities can now access a new portal that consolidates government resources.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on May 31 that the Government will provide resources to help parents foster healthy digital habits in their children from a young age.

“We want to make this practical and actionable for parents,” he said, as he launched Screen Smart From The Start, a national movement by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).

As part of the movement, the Be Screen Smart portal offers tips for children and youths, divided into three groups: aged 0 to six, seven to 12 and 13 to 18.

For example, parents could learn how to curate content their child can access to protect them from inappropriate content online, and how to set clear family norms on device use.

This comes as society evolves and new challenges are brought about by developments like digitalisation. It has influenced how people interact with one another and how families raise children.

In the past, parents were worried about comics, TV and video games, said PM Wong. But today’s challenge of technology and screen time are “more intense” due to addictive features, as well as potentially harmful content and toxic online interactions.

“Many parents tell us they want to do more, but don’t know where to start,” he said at the National Family Festival Family Carnival at the Expo on May 31.

An MDDI survey on close to 2,000 parents here released in September 2025 found that only 37 per cent of parents feel confident about their ability to guide their children’s digital habits, and more than half wanted more support.

Citing some ways to help, PM Wong suggested no phones during family meals and preferably no phones in the bedroom as parents have no control over whether their children are using it at late night.

He added that parents should also hold back from giving their children smartphones for as long as possible.

“With these strong foundations, hopefully it becomes easier to manage screen time when children grow older,” he said. “Eventually they will have their own smartphones but we want to instil in them the confidence and values to navigate the online world responsibly and safely.”

“We must, together, collectively create new social norms for the digital age. It must start with all of us working closely with parents, schools and community groups so that together, we can build healthier habits from young,” he said.

The Government will continue to do its part on this front, he noted. So far, it has banned the use of smartphones during school hours. It also plans to tighten safeguards around access to social media.

He added that the Government is fully committed to supporting families through every stage of life, especially parents of young children and young Singaporeans who would like to start families of their own.

One way is through the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, which was formed after Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to a historic low of 0.87 in 2025. The workgroup will release a full report in early 2027.

“The team has been busy studying what more we can do, for example, in the areas of concerns like costs, care for the children, housing for young couples, so we will share what further moves we will make when we are ready,” PM Wong said.

PM Wong also said that safeguards on screen time must go hand in hand with spending quality time together as a family.

“You cannot just curb the use of devices and then leave a vacuum. As we limit screen time, we also need to have more time together as a family,” he said.

“We will continue to encourage more family-friendly activities… (and) make it easier for families to discover activities that appeal to them, and to spend meaningful time together.”

The portal will list a range of accessible offline activities for families with children of all ages, starting with the upcoming June school holidays.

Reading not only helps families to bond but also nurtures critical thinking and empathy in children, said a joint statement by MDDI and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

Families can participate in a series of reading-related activities like themed storytelling sessions by the National Library Board (NLB) across various libraries.

From August, NLB will also launch a new run of the popular Book Bugs programme, under which children borrow library materials to earn points and redeem collectible cards.

In collaboration with the Families for Life Council, the MSF will roll out children’s books on digital wellness in 2026 to help children understand the importance of balanced digital use from young.

Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam, who was also at the launch, said the Government wants to provide better access to support for certain parents in the communities.

She added that the Government has already been working with a wide network of partners, community organisations, corporate partners and schools, among others.

To foster healthy digital habits in his two sons, IT worker Shahril Hassan said he had cut down screen time for them from two hours to one hour, with the extra hour used for offline activities such as drawing, playing with toys and swimming.

The 38-year-old said he reduced device use after reading recommended guidelines, and also because he noticed that age-inappropriate content still seeped into what his children – who are aged six and eight – were watching.

However, he still faces difficulties such as having to explain the reduced limits and dividing the one hour of screen time between schoolwork and play.

The new portal will come in handy. He said: “It helps me to take the guesswork out of figuring out how to ensure my kids stay safe online and also gives me good pointers on how I can have conversations (about online content) with my children.”

In its fifth iteration, the National Family Festival encourages Singaporeans to strengthen family bonds through simple and intentional everyday actions. Held on May 30 and 31, the carnival drew 20,000 participants, said Families for Life.