Assessment of Effectiveness of Parental Education Programmes on Healthy Screentime Habits for Children
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song’s inquiry into the effectiveness of parental education programmes on healthy screentime habits, their potential mandating for new parents, and measures addressing the use of mobile devices as “digital babysitters.” Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli B M M highlighted the Grow Well SG initiative, which provides health checklists and lifestyle prescriptions alongside digital resources like the Parent Hub and Families for Life website. He explained that while effectiveness is currently being monitored, parenting talks and community engagement efforts are ongoing to provide strategies for device management. The Minister stated there are no plans to mandate these programmes, but noted that a guide promoting no screen use for infants will be included in the SG60 Baby Gift Pack for 2025 newborns. The Government will continue to strengthen these tools and engage parents to help children develop healthy digital habits while acknowledging the unique needs of individual families.
Transcript
42 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the Government’s assessment of the effectiveness of its parental education programmes on healthy screentime habits for children; (b) whether these programmes will be mandated for new parents given risks of early, excessive screen use; and (c) what measures address the tendency for some parents using mobile devices as “digital babysitters” which can inadvertently impact their children’s development.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: In January, the Government launched Grow Well SG to support parents in managing their children’s screen use and promoting other healthy behaviours from an early age. These include the Childhood Health Behaviours Checklist at healthcare touchpoints and personalised Health Plans with lifestyle prescriptions through schools.
We have developed practical parenting tips on guiding screen use, conversation starters and alternative non-screen activities for parents to engage their children. We have made these tips widely available through channels, such as the Families for Life website, Parent Hub website (e.g., Screen Use Buddy), Parenting for Wellness, Digital for Life Portal, Parenting Resources in Parents Gateway and the Early Childhood Development Agency's Beanstalk.
In addition, the Families for Life Council works with community partners to offer parenting talks on screen use and device management during parents' meet up sessions and at community touchpoints. Parent Support Groups in schools also share screen use tips and strategies with their parent communities. As these measures are fairly nascent, we are still monitoring and assessing their effectiveness.
There are no plans to make these programmes mandatory for new parents, as each family's needs differ. However, we recognise the importance of starting them young on the right footing for screen use. As part of the SG60 Baby Gift Pack distribution, all Singaporean parents of newborns in 2025 receive a parenting journal with a concise guide to resources on healthy habits, including adopting no screen use for infants. A similar guide will be made available to parents of newborns in subsequent years through various healthcare and community touchpoints.
The Government will continue to engage parents to understand their challenges and strengthen programmes and tools to help their children develop healthier screen time habits in this digital age.