Parenting in the digital age: How to balance screen time for your kids

Living in the digital age, screens have become a huge part of our everyday lives. Whether it's for leisure viewing at home or for work in school or the office, screens are virtually everywhere. 

But while they can be a good way to de-stress, or even serve as useful tools for learning or work, excessive screen time has been proven to carry harmful consequences — especially for children. 

Recently, even Prime Minister Lawrence Wong addressed the issue during the National Day Rally on Aug 17, saying: "The reality is we are living in a digital age. There are huge upsides to being digitally connected.

"But we must also be clear-eyed about the downsides, and manage them carefully." 

During the rally, the PM also mentioned that "when young people become overly immersed in the virtual world, they may lose touch with the real one" and "grow up more socially isolated", adding that harmful or toxic content online can also affect self-esteem, emotional development and mental wellbeing. 

To target the issue, PM Wong shared that the government is currently studying the experiences of other countries that have passed new laws to tighten access to the internet and social media for children. 

The Ministry of Health (MOH) also launched an updated set of guidelines on Jan 21 on screen use for children up to 12 years of age, as part of a new national health strategy called Grow Well SG to help children and adolescents adopt healthier lifestyles. 

To balance or to ban?

While expert say excessive screen time isn't recommended, especially for younger children, it doesn't necessarily mean that screen time should be avoided — neither can it be avoided entirely today. 

Schools have long implemented the use of laptops and other devices into their curriculum for learning purposes. Many enrichment centres also use educational videos to keep younger children engaged. 

The key is in balance.

How much is too much? 

But how does one define 'excessive screen time'? 

According to MOH's guidelines, screen use should not be allowed unless it's for interactive video chatting for children under 18 months of age. 

For children between 18 months and 6 years old, screen use should be limited to less than one hour outside of school, balanced with active, interactive and educational screen use. 

Children aged seven to 12 years old should be limited to less than two hours of screen time per day, unless it's for schoolwork. If necessary, parents should also moderate the time spent on passive recreational use. 

A more detailed advisory can be found on MOH's website. 

Type of content matters

When it comes to balancing and monitoring screen time for children, the duration isn't the only thing that requires attention.

According to experts, the type of content they're exposed to also matters — so keeping an eye on what your children are watching during screen time is also crucial.

"There must be some thought in the use of screen devices for younger children. Devices should not be used for 'babysitting' purposes or just to keep the children occupied when parents are busy," Dr Ong Say How, senior consultant for the Department of Developmental Psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health, told AsiaOne. 

The senior consultant added that even when viewing educational materials online, caregivers should join the children and interact with them about the content. 

"Supervision is necessary so that the child is not exposed to harmful or age-inappropriate content, or to materials that do not encourage proper development of executive brain functions. For instance, if children are exposed to violent content over a long time, they may become de-sensitised to violence and physical aggression, leading them to re-enact them in real life or to adopt the use of violence to resolve issues," he warned. 

Impact on health and development

One major concern of excessive screen time is its impact on a child's health and development.

According to a study published in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), excessive screen usage has been linked to several health concerns in growing children, such as a higher likelihood of obesity and sleep disorders.

An article published on Singapore National Eye Centre's website also linked increased screen usage to a rise in myopia cases in young children. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, Dr Ngiam Xin Ying, associate consultant for the Department of Child Development at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), also shared that while not all developmental, learning or behavioural issues can be definitively attributed to screen time and usage, there is now a "body of evidence" that shows the link between increased screen time and a range of physical, developmental and behavioural concerns. 

According to Dr Ngiam, some of these concerns include: sleep and physical activity, language development and attention and behaviour. 

"For children under two, the negatives of screen use outweigh the positives. Increased duration of screen use is associated with lower language skills in young children," she explained, adding that screen use in younger children can also be disruptive to play and reduce the quality of interactions between caregivers and children. 

Several studies, including one published by National University Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, confirmed that excessive screen time during infancy is linked to "detrimental outcomes" in cognitive functions, which continue to be apparent after eight years of age. 

The excessive use of screens for young children is also associated with mental health and behavioural problems, as backed by a study published by the American Psychological Association. 

The study also revealed that "the more children engaged with electronic screens, the more likely they were to develop socioemotional problems", which include internalising problems such as anxiety and depression and externalising problems such as aggression and hyperactivity. 

IMH's Dr Ong also shared that a local study of preschool children in 2024 found that those with higher past screen time usage had poorer attention, more aggression and increased behavioural concerns. 

What parents can do

So, how can parents help regulate and balance screen time for their children?

Speaking from experience, Dr Ngiam shared that when children are seen at the KKH's Department of Child Development for their developmental or behavioural challenges, parents are often advised to reduce their children's screen use. 

According to Dr Ngiam, parents subsequently reported that reducing screen time and spending more time with their child has helped with their development.

It was also noted that reducing screen time, particularly certain types of content such as aggressive video games, has helped with the child's behaviour. 

Referencing guidelines launched by the hospital, Dr Ngiam recommends regular physical activity, limiting sedentary behaviour and screen time, as well as adequate sleep and good eating habits for children. 

She advised that sedentary screen time is not recommended for children under two and recreational screen time should be limited to less than one hour each day for three to six year olds, regardless of the type of device. 

Screen time should also be avoided one hour before sleep, and disallowed during family meals. 

For seven to 18 year olds, screen time should also be limited to less than two hours each day. 

"Most importantly, parents must be active and intentional in their approach to screentime," said Dr Ngiam, encouraging parents to "have a plan and stick to it" by setting clear boundaries and consistently monitoring their child's screen time. 

Parents can also sit down as a family to discuss suitable and appropriate limits on duration and content during their time together and limiting their own recreational screen time use in their children's presence, as well as prioritising face-to-face interactions and encourage offline play. 

While technology has become "an integral part of modern life", IMH's Dr Ong said it's also important to remember that children are highly impressionable and can be influenced easily by content online. 

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Urging the need to moderate children's social media use to reduce its potential negative impact, Dr Ong stated: "Parents can set house rules like no handphone use one hour before bedtime and no handphone use during family meals." 

For older children, he suggests clear communications and mutual agreements on handphone use, adding that habits like regular routines and self-discipline developed during childhood make discussions on screen usage with an older child easier.

Dr Ong also advises parents to plan structured activities such as reading, exercising, playing boardgames or organising family outings to prevent children from gravitating towards electronics to pass time. 

Additionally, Dr Ong said it's also important for parents to model appropriate screen and device usage behaviours for children as "children often mimic their parents' behaviours". 

carol.ong@asiaone.com