New resources help parents understand and manage children’s online gaming habits

SINGAPORE – Parents who wish to better understand and manage their children’s online gaming habits can now get help through educational materials and engagement activities created in these efforts.

These include educational content like online quizzes, flipboards, as well as conversation cards families can use to discuss gaming together, with questions about digital boundaries, online safety and parental involvement.

Co-developed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Tencent – an internet company founded in China that focuses on social communication and online games – these resources are part of a new digital well-being campaign, in support of the national Digital for Life movement.

They can be accessed through community outreach activities organised by Tencent.

Interactive exhibitions will be held at three public libraries, with the first at the Woodlands Regional Library during the June school holidays.

The next will be at the Harbourfront Library from Oct 4 to 30. One more will be held during the December school holidays at the Jurong Regional Library.

The company aims to reach a total of 4,000 participants in Singapore by the end of 2026.

Speaking at the launch of the Beyond The Screen: Healthy Digital Play campaign on May 2 at the Ci Yuan Community Club, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau acknowledged that parenting today can be tough, with many relying on screens as babysitters or to calm tantrums.

“At the back of our heads, we actually know this may not be the best for our children. But we struggle, and that is one way to survive through the difficult times,” said Ms Lau, who is also Minister of State for Education.

She added that 37 per cent of parents surveyed by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information in 2025 said they would like more governmental support in navigating their children’s digital well-being.

In her speech, Ms Lau thanked IMDA and Tencent for bringing the initiative to Singapore as their first stop in the ASEAN region.

She added: “We can’t load all of this on the parents alone, and so we are quite happy when all of our partners across the ecosystem come together to support this effort.”

In a media statement, IMDA said insights from the Singapore launch will inform the roll-out of the campaign across South-east Asia in 2026 led by Tencent, with local adaptations to meet the needs of diverse communities in the region.

Gaming as a bridge

Mr Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, co-founder of the charity Impart, which works with young people facing adversities, has come across many young people with gaming addiction issues.

He told The Straits Times that parents should not be focused on eliminating gaming from their children’s lives, but rather be involved early to better understand how their children engage in digital play.

“You can’t really get rid of it (gaming). You also don’t want to push the young person’s behaviour underground, because then, that brings about even more new problems,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of parents observing and understanding their children’s online behaviour to address potential problems early, and said campaigns like this can help in this aspect.

“You can’t have the conversation with your child if you’re not observing what the child is doing, and how the online gaming community is impacting them, or what it means for them,” said Mr Narasimman.

Mr Murphy Zhao, head of tech and manager of Tencent Singapore, said digital spaces are already a natural part of how young people learn, play and connect today.

He added that the goal of the partnership with IMDA is to make conversations around digital well-being relevant and easy for families to apply in everyday life.

“We believe digital play is a modern way to build social connections and nurture important skills like teamwork, creativity, and social confidence in our youth,” said Mr Zhao, adding that there is a need to create spaces for open conversations about bridging play with purpose.

By working with educators and the wider community, he said, families can be empowered with the tools they need to navigate the digital world together.

In addition to creating resources and organising engagement sessions, Tencent will commit $25,000 to the Digital for Life movement fund. The Government will match this contribution dollar to dollar, to bring it to a total of $50,000.

The fund is used to provide support for projects and activities promoting digital inclusion, digital literacy and digital wellness.

In partnership with EYEYAH! – a local educational platform – Tencent held an assembly talk on healthy gameplay for pupils at Queenstown Primary School on March 5.

Using the online quiz they created, Ms Claire Hoe, Tencent’s lead of public affairs, said the session helped pupils understand their gaming habits, while encouraging them to approach digital play with caution, kindness and respect.

“We are currently in active discussions with more primary schools... We see this as an ongoing effort, and we will continue to explore opportunities to extend our reach to more schools and communities beyond 2026,” said Ms Hoe.

She added that the quiz will also be featured at its interactive exhibitions at the three public libraries in Woodlands, HarbourFront and Jurong, with other elements such as the flipboard, to engage families on healthy digital habits in a fun, hands-on way.

Hour-long workshops will also be conducted in these venues to help parents and guardians explore ways to include themselves in their children’s gaming habits and learn more about digital gaming. Topics to be covered include digital boundaries, online safety, playing as a team and respect.

These initiatives come amid growing concerns over how deeply screens have become embedded in children’s daily lives.

Other government efforts to tackle this issue include updated screen use guidelines for children and a ban on the use of mobile phones in schools.

ST also launched a year-long series in January to help families in Singapore navigate the implications of an increasingly digital world for their children.

Ms Hoe said Tencent hopes the campaign can help children feel better supported by having their parents included in the gaming process.

“We want to encourage children to be able to bring in their parents, so that gaming becomes a shared experience, and is done in a safe and healthy manner.”