Singapore To Tackle Children's Screen Times; Regulates Exposure To Displays
Singapore: As the negative impacts of excessive screen time are being discussed, especially among children, Singapore has taken a legal initiative to curb the screen use for children. As researchers are attributing cognitive development impairment to the excessive screen time among children, the initiatives, including the curbing of electronic devices, hailed.
As part of a broader multi-ministry health initiative, the Singapore government on Tuesday imposed strict regulations to restrict screen time among children in schools and preschool settings. Since February first, the regulations are expected to come into force. As per the updated rules, the screen time for children under 8 months will be completely banned, while the screen use for children aged 18 months to six years will be limited to only learning and teaching purposes.
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The announcement by a joint statement by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development stated that the educators will be guided to prioritize meaningful experiences” over sedentary activities such as prolonged screen time and sitting.
Apart from that, the primary and secondary schools have implemented similar measures, requiring students to store their phones in designated areas during lessons and restricting device use to specific times and locations, such as during recess or after school. Moreover, it has sent recommendations to the parents, exhorting them to limit screen time to less than an hour per day for children aged three to six and less than two hours for those aged seven to 12, excluding schoolwork.
Parents were also encouraged to limit children’s access to mobile devices and social media. Part of Grow Well SG, a health promotion strategy in the country, Singapore has been taking various measures stressing healthier lifestyles and preventive care. It also promotes improved nutrition, sleep habits, learning experiences, and physical activities.
It is undeniable that long screen time and a sedentary life can pose significant health risks to anyone, irrespective of age group. The restriction among adults is to be imposed by themselves to ward off the adverse health impact emanating from the excessive screen times.
Notably, a study by Indian Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines had in December last year recommended that children below 2 years age should not be exposed to any type of screen. It had also advised that the exposure should be limited to a maximum of one hour of supervised screen time per day for children 24-59 months age, while the screen time should be less than two hours per day for children 5-10 years age.
