June school holidays 2025: Take a tech timeout

Find out why excessive screen time is a big issue in Singapore, known as the “myopia capital of the world”.

UPDATED Jun 01, 2025, 08:15 PM

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SINGAPORE – Check out nine2twelve, our new pilot video series on YouTube for those in the age range, where we present news stories, explainers and reviews of youth-targeted activities in a kid-friendly way. These episodes and activities are by the team behind Little Red Dot, a weekly student publication by The Straits Times.

In Episode 1, The Straits Times explains why excessive screen time is a burning issue.

Too much screen time is one of the reasons Singapore is known as the “myopia capital of the world”, where some 65 per cent of children develop myopia by age 12.

Singapore recently rolled out guidelines on screen-time usage, with the Ministry of Health recommending just two hours of screen time a day for seven- to 12-year-olds.

Here are some ways you can unplug a little.

Watch the video above or go tostr.sg/vid-screentime. After that, come back and try these offline activities we’ve planned for you and your family.

Activity 1

Complete one activity and mark out that square by drawing a cross on it. Keep going until you complete five activities in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Once you have completed a row, take a photo of your completed card and send it to stdot@sph.com.sg to share your accomplishment.

To play this “offline” bingo card, complete five activities in a row. ST GRAPHICS: JASTER NGUI

Activity 2

What would you do if you do not have a mobile phone, tablet, television, game console or money for a day? Draw how you would spend a screen-free day. Send your comics to stdot@sph.com.sg. Remember to include your full name, age, level and school.

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