SINGAPORE – Something is not right with the way our children are growing up with screens, and the hold the gadgets have over them.

Until the end of 2025, recess periods in many Singapore schools looked worryingly familiar.

Students stream out of classrooms, their eyes glued to the cellphones clasped in their hands. As they make their way to the canteen, they masterfully tackle going down the stairs without lifting their gaze from their devices.