SINGAPORE, Sept 13 — Only 37 per cent of parents in Singapore feel confident about guiding their children’s use of digital devices, a government survey has found.
The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said the majority of parents struggled, citing lack of time, children resisting rules, the ease of bypassing parental controls and limited knowledge of monitoring tools.
The February survey of 1,986 parents, released yesterday, found almost all were concerned about online risks.
Exposure to inappropriate content was the top worry, followed by interactions with strangers and cyberbullying.
Nine in 10 parents said they had already taken some steps, such as restricting screen time or blocking certain content.
The findings highlight growing anxiety over the impact of technology on young people in Singapore.
In his National Day Rally speech last month, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said it was hard for parents “to set boundaries, or even to know what their children are doing” online.
He urged Singapore to balance protecting children with equipping them to benefit from digital opportunities.
Device use was found to be widespread among young children.
More than half of parents with children aged two to four reported their child already used a device, often starting at age three.
Many exceeded the Ministry of Health’s screen time guidelines, with 81 per cent of pre-schoolers surpassing the daily limit on weekends.
About 59 per cent of parents surveyed said they wanted more government support, either through stronger laws or clearer digital guides.
MDDI pointed to new rules for social media services and app stores to strengthen age checks and block harmful content, with an online safety commission to be established by 2026.
The ministry said it would also expand outreach through workshops and parent influencers.
“We will also work with grassroots, industry and corporate partners to encourage more ground-up initiatives and spark a whole-of-society effort,” MDDI said in a statement.
