New Guidelines On Screen Time For Kids In Singapore

If you think about childhood, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? We suppose that for most adults, childhood is associated with swings and slides, bikes, merry-go-rounds, kites, and hours and hours spent outside with family and friends. This looks like a perfect picture of a carefree and happy pastime for all little explorers that helps kids develop social skills, improve health, explore life happening all around in a fun way, find friends, and create many precious memories. And we bet all parents would wish such a childhood for their children. However, nowadays, the situation is different in many cases. As the technological revolution is in full swing, a whole lot of various gadgets fill all the spheres of our lives, increasingly drawing everyone, including children, into the vastness of the virtual world. While the importance of all technological inventions and innovations cannot be overemphasized, we wish some areas of our lives would remain gadget-free. Especially when it comes to our children. Being conscious of the importance of this issue, the Ministry of Health launched new guidelines on screen time for kids in Singapore – and the BusyKidd team invites you to discuss them today.

The new national health promotion strategy, Grow Well SG, aims to improve preventive care and promote healthy lifestyles among children and adolescents. As part of this strategy, the Ministry of Health revised its guidelines on screen time for kids to provide stricter recommendations. It is a selection of useful tips that will help parents develop healthy habits and instill them among their family members.

The Guidelines On Screen Time for Kids developed by the Ministry of Health is a compilation of practical suggestions for families with little ones from 0 to 12 years old. Tips are divided by age group in order to be as efficient as possible considering all spheres of kids’ development – physical, emotional, etc. So, let’s check out suggestions launched by the Ministry of Health in Singapore.

Guidance On Screen Use In Children

Under 18 months old:

No screen use (unless for interactive video chatting).
Do not turn on the TV in the background.

18 months to 6 years old:

Less than 1 hour of screen use a day outside school.
- Do not use screens just to occupy or distract your child.
- Do not use screens during meals and one hour before bedtime.
When using screens:
- Choose educational and age-appropriate content.
- Watch the content together and discuss the content with your child.
Do not turn on the TV in the background.

7 to 12 years old:

Less than 2 hours of screen use a day, unless related to schoolwork.
- Agree on a screen use plan or timetable.
- Do not use screens during meals and one hour before bedtime.
When using screens:
- Use parental control settings and check content ratings to ensure content is age-appropriate.
- Talk to your child often on what they are viewing online. Offer advice regularly.
- You should not give your child access to social media services.
- Do not give your child mobile devices with unrestricted access to the internet and applications.
If you have concerns that your child has problems with screen use
- Speak to your child, develop and agree on a realistic screen use timetable to balance their screen use with other activities.
- Seek help from the school, community partners or professionals, if the problem persists.

Of course, there are multiple benefits of screen use for kids. However, this process must be meticulously curated and carefully managed. Following the tips released by the Ministry of Health will help reduce health risks caused by the kids’ inactive lifestyle. Besides, it will prevent many dangers hiding in the virtual world that can affect the kid’s mood, morale, and even mental state. Moreover, little explorers and adventure seekers will get more quality time for family activities, interacting with friends, and exploring our amazing world. After all, there are so many miracles outside – and childhood is an ideal time to explore them all!