S'pore to put in place measures to deal with screen time, device use

This comes amid research showing negative effects and links to worsening mental health

- Elisha Tushara

Measures to deal with device usage in Singapore will be released in the coming months, as electronic devices and social media become a big part of people's lives, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said in separate Facebook posts on June 21.

They highlighted the need for more decisive and effective measures to shape habits of device usage, especially for the young, with research showing negative effects and links to worsening mental health.

"We can make our advice clearer and more definitive; we need to deliver them consistently across all healthcare settings, with more reminders; we need to put them into practice in pre-schools; and we need to find ways to encourage their adoption at home," said the ministers.

"We will finalise and announce these initiatives in the coming few months." Their comments come after United States surgeon-general Vivek Murthy recently called for a warning label on social media platforms for young users, arguing that social media is associated with mental health harms for adolescents.

He argued that the mental health crisis among young people constitutes an emergency and that social media, which is addictive by design, is likely an important contributor.