SINGAPORE: Advice from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on managing children’s screen time has drawn mixed reactions online, with some Singaporeans supporting his message while others questioned whether he was the right person to give parenting advice.

Mr Wong launched Screen Smart From The Start, a new national movement by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), on May 31. The initiative aims to help parents cultivate healthy digital habits in children from a young age and includes a new Be Screen Smart portal that consolidates government resources and practical guidance.

Speaking at the National Family Festival Family Carnival at Singapore Expo, Mr Wong acknowledged that many parents are concerned about their children’s digital habits but are unsure where to begin.

“We want to make this practical and actionable for parents,” he said.

Among the measures he suggested were having no phones during family meals and avoiding phones in bedrooms, noting that parents have little control over whether children are using devices late into the night once they are behind closed doors.

Mr Wong also encouraged parents to delay giving smartphones to their children 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.”

He said Singapore needed to establish new social norms for the digital age through cooperation between parents, schools and community groups.

“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 added.

Mr Wong noted that the Government had already banned smartphone use during school hours and was planning to strengthen safeguards around access to social media.

He also reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting families, including parents of young children and Singaporeans hoping to start families.

In explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Mr Wong said concerns over children’s media consumption were not new, noting that previous generations worried about comics, television and video games. However, he argued that today’s digital environment pose...