Screen time eating into physical playtime for pre-schoolers: Study

More than half of parents surveyed say screen time is a part of children's playtime

- Elisha Tushara

The use of devices is eating into playtime for young children, despite most parents believing that non-screen play is important for them, a recent study has shown.

The study conducted by non-profit organisation Suncare SG found that although nine in 10 parents feel non-screen play is important, they still allow their pre-school children to play on devices for one to two hours a day at weekends.

More than half of the parents surveyed said they consider screen time to be a part of their children’s playtime.

And close to 20 per cent of parents indicated that their child spends less than one hour outdoors per day at weekends.

The study, conducted from June to July, included more than 1,000 parents who have children between the ages of three and six. Suncare SG focuses on supporting the well-being of children and youth, and the aim of its study was to identify the pain points parents have in connection with parenting and play.

Associate Professor Sirene Lim, vice-dean of the S R Nathan School of Human Development at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said medical practitioners and the World Health Organisation recommend that children aged three to six have at least 180 minutes of physical activity throughout the day.

Parents completed an online survey with questions about whether they believe play is important, and what their own childhood play experiences were like.