Are we getting screen time all wrong? New ST podcast helps parents navigate a world of devices

SINGAPORE - How much screen time is too much? When should a child get their first phone? And how do we get our children to put down their devices when we struggle to do the same?

These are questions many parents grapple with, often without clear answers.

When The Straits Times spoke to 51 parents in November 2025, ahead of launching our year-long series on children and screens, we realised the issues were far more than setting screen-time limits.

Parents had different views on how best to protect children in a digital world. Some wanted stricter regulations, while others favoured a more flexible, balanced approach.

But many agreed that more honest, nuanced conversations about these challenges were missing.

They suggested a podcast as a way to have them.

That got us thinking. A podcast, not bound by a word count, would allow space for deeper and more empathetic dialogue, capture the complexities of parental guilt and emotions, and the practical wisdom from lived experiences that written stories may miss.

That became the starting point for Screens Down, Look Up, The Straits Times’ new five-episode podcast series.

Not a lecture, but a discussion

What parents need is not another set of dos and don’ts, but a space to explore the grey areas of digital parenting.

We want to unpack and challenge conventional ideas about screens, rather than repeat familiar advice about why devices are ‘bad’.

The intent of the podcast series is not to lecture listeners about the harms of excessive screen use, or to dole out advice on setting more rules.

Our goal was to give room to the conversations and realities of raising children in a world that’s always plugged in, through chats with fellow parents, experts and young people.

We want to listen to what the science says about kids and screens and consider opposing perspectives about managing device usage. We also want to hold honest and relatable conversations about what modern childhood looks like.

In short, we wanted to cater to the parent looking for more meaningful connection, more real-world play, and fewer screen battles at home.

Another thing was clear through brainstorming sessions for the episodes. Screen use is not a standalone parenting problem.

It is intertwined with other aspects of family life - it impacts parenting styles, how children learn and play, their behaviour and how they regulate emotions, and family relationships.

And the questions surrounding screens are rarely just about technology. They are also about trust, independence, boundaries and the kind of childhood we want our children to have.

We hope listeners will come away with a better understanding of screens and children, some practical ideas to try at home, and perhaps a little more confidence in making choices that work for their families.

Parenting in a world of screens can sometimes feel like navigating uncharted territory, but you do not need to figure it out alone.

Screens Down, Look Up, a new five-episode podcast series by The Straits Times, launches on Nov 2.

Follow the Screens Down, Look Up limited series every Monday (Nov 2 - 30):

Channel: https://str.sg/bKan

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/57aK

Spotify: https://str.sg/agZP

YouTube: https://str.sg/yxuv

Read more ST Screen Timeout articles: https://str.sg/screentimeout

Produced and edited by: Studio+65 and Fa’izah Sani

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Amelia Teng

Amelia Teng is assistant news editor at The Straits Times. She oversees education and social affairs coverage, and writes about issues relating to community and families.

Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in Singapore’s education landscape.