SINGAPORE: A recent survey by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has revealed that one-third of local teenagers frequently engage in online gaming with strangers, with a significant portion of parents remaining unaware of their children’s digital interactions.
The survey, spanning 810 teenagers aged 10 to 18 and their parents from October 2022 to February last year, exposed a concerning gap in parental knowledge.
About half of the teens surveyed play video games daily for extended periods, and 36% play with strangers, with 14% even having contact outside gaming.
Among respondents aged 13 to 18, 17% reported being bullied in online games. Shockingly, almost half took no action, and less than 10% informed their parents.
The lack of communication between parents and children regarding online activities has raised concerns about potential risks.
Only half of the parents accurately estimated their children’s gaming time, and one-third were unaware of their gaming companions. Parents who expressed concern about gaming habits were more likely to take active measures, with 54% limiting playtime.
However, the survey discovered that approximately 25% of teenagers with restricted gaming time deceived their parents about their gaming habits.
In response to these findings, the MCI plans to launch new programs aimed at increasing online safety awareness among teenagers and parents. Resources will be made available on the Ministry of Education’s Parents Gateway app.
Pauline Phoon, founder of the social enterprise Comeback – a member of the Media Literacy Council, emphasized the importance of open communication between parents and children to address the root causes of excessive gaming.
Highlighting the need for understanding the deeper issues that may lead to game addiction, she told 8World:
“Game addiction is usually a phenomenon that can be observed on the surface, but in fact, if you get to know the child more deeply, he may have a lot of struggles and trauma in his heart, or he may be bullied at school and unable to make friends, and games are what he finds.
A platform for friends. If you take this away, you can imagine the difficulty for children: I want to make friends but can’t make them at school, but I have many friends in the game, and I am very happy. Why are you stopping me?
So, these comparisons arise. We all need to understand the reasons in depth and have a more in-depth discussion with our children. The parent-child relationship is very important.”
Minister of Communications and Information Josephine Teo has said that, alongside providing resources, the government will continue to enact legislation to ensure online safety.
Measures include exploring age assurance measures to restrict young people’s access to age-appropriate content. Minister Teo stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to create a healthier online environment.
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