The real risk isn’t screen time – it’s failing to teach digital responsibility

Banning devices won’t solve the problem. Equip students to navigate them with care and purpose.

A student scrolls endlessly on the phone, laughing at memes, chatting with friends, and occasionally watching tutorials on science experiments or writing essays. Hours slip by, feeling like just twenty minutes.

This is a typical day for many teenagers and young adolescents. What feels like harmless downtime is, in reality, shaping their habits, attention spans, and how they engage with the world.

The question is: How are we equipping them to navigate this digital deluge with discernment?

Media reports and surveys have raised questions over personal digital device use. In Singapore, a 2024 CNA-IPS survey showed high mobile usage among teenagers. Teens were found to be using their electronic devices for almost 8.5 hours on average daily. A separate study by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) identified potential risks related to exposure to harmful online content.

These findings point to a discrepancy between young people’s lived digital realities and how schools and homes are preparing them to cope.

The National Institute of Education (NIE) conducted a large-scale survey of over 3,500 secondary school students which showed that 88 per cent already own internet-enabled devices before purchasing a school-prescribed Personal Learning Device (PLD). Many had multiple digital devices, such as smartphones (90 per cent) and laptops (62 per cent).

Simply put, the PLD isn’t the secondary school student’s introduction to the digital world - they are already immersed in it or have been exposed to it. In fact, 68 per cent of students reported that they could use their digital devices freely at home. About 28 per cent of students could use digital devices for schoolwork or other purposes with permission from their parents or guardians, while around 4 per cent could only use the devices for schoolwork.

Instead of reflexively debating whether to ban or allow digital devices in schools, we need to ask harder, more pressing questions: Are we teaching students to engage responsibly with technology? Are our schools, families, and policies aligned in helping students become ethical, informed digital citizens? 

It is not the sole responsibility of the school, rather it is a partnership, one where the saying “it takes a whole village to raise a child” comes to mind.

The screen as an escape

Distraction remains a common concern. While the PLDs in secondary schools open access to powerful learning tools, they are also a gateway to access games, entertainment, and social media.

In our focus group discussions, students shared that they used digital devices to watch online videos for entertainment and leisure. Some admitted that screen use compromised their sleep, family time, and studies. Others revealed they behave differently online, sometimes driven by anonymity or a need to escape from real-life frustrations.

However, it is heartening to note from these discussions that the majority of these secondary school students used their PLDs responsibly and reported few negative experiences. Possible explanations could be in part due to intentional design: all school-issued PLDs are managed via secure accounts and installed with a mandatory Device Management Application (DMA), which supports students in learning to use their PLD safely and responsibly, thereby safeguarding their cyber wellness.

These technical safeguards, while helpful, are not sufficient. We must go beyond monitoring and restriction, to education.

Teenagers crave autonomy. But that does not mean we have to let go completely.

Digital monitoring tools should be used to spark conversations revolving around these questions: How much time are you spending online? What are you learning? Would you like to share with me something that you discovered? How do you navigate when you encounter inappropriate content?

These are teachable moments that cultivate digital responsibility.

And there’s hope. Over 70 per cent of secondary school students reported using their PLDs for independent learning. Many are also skilful in using PLDs effectively and are able to teach others how to use PLDs for independent learning.

Over 70 per cent of students reported using PLDs skilfully for communication and collaboration. Clearly, students can thrive with the right support.

Teachers are key

An NIE survey of over 800 secondary school educators found that 74 per cent used PLDs in more than half of their lessons. More than half used PLDs to facilitate participatory learning and formative assessment, and close to 50 per cent leveraged PLDs to support thinking and guide interactions between students, teachers and content.

In classrooms, we saw teachers use PLDs to make student-thinking visible, provide timely feedback, and cater to diverse needs. These aren’t isolated efforts - they reflect a shift in pedagogy.

Notwithstanding this, the study found that even among educators who embrace digital tools, some are concerned about the potential distractions associated with the use of digital devices and are mindful in how they use PLDs to achieve the intended learning outcomes.

Teachers also noted that planning and conducting tech-enabled lessons require more time and preparation. This underscores the need for deeper professional dialogue and support around meaningful e-Pedagogy that enhances proven teaching practices.

To support teachers in building their confidence and skills in e-Pedagogy, the Ministry of Education (MOE) provides professional learning opportunities and resources to help teachers grow in competencies and dispositions relevant to areas such as digital literacy and artificial intelligence. These include milestone developmental courses that incorporate EdTech practices and sharing of good practices within the fraternity. Educators can also refer to MOE’s AI-in-education (AIEd) Ethics Framework and Generative AI Guide for tips on how to design and use PLDs and AI tools safely and responsibly for teaching and learning.

In addition, NIE - as Singapore’s national teacher education institute - prepares educators to be agents of digital transformation. Our teacher education and professional learning programmes empower teachers to adapt, innovate, and lead with purpose in technology-rich classrooms.

The impact is clear. NIE-trained teachers are not merely using technology. They are transforming learning. Research led by Dr Teo Chew Lee from NIE illustrates this shift. It championed a knowledge-building approach where students take the lead – posing questions, sharing ideas and co-creating content. Dr Teo’s research plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration among schools, bringing teachers together to build a community that leverages technology to actively engage students in knowledge building.

This approach proved its value during the COVID-19 pandemic, while many fell back to video lectures, one teacher facilitated an online inquiry into photosynthesis, engaging students to think critically.

Another NIE research initiative explores “seamless learning,” using mobile devices to connect classroom instructions with real-world exploration. Imagine science students conducting experiments at home, documenting observations digitally, then returning to school ready to deepen their insights. These are not passive technology integrations – they are purposeful bridges between formal and informal learning.

But this innovation needs to be supported. Teachers have told us what has been working for them: protected time for professional learning, peer collaboration, and sharing of best practices. Where schools enable these conditions, meaningful transformation takes root.

The benefits, for both teachers and students, of using digital devices under the right conditions are clear. We are also acutely aware of the dangers where the usage is unchecked.

The amount of screen use is linked to the age of children. MOH’s Guidance on Screen Use in Children provides age-related guidelines on screen use outside of schools, for example, no screen use for children under 18 months.

Parents should also limit their children’s screen use to less than one hour a day outside of school for children aged three to six, less than two hours a day for children aged between seven and 12 years unless related to schoolwork.

So, should we ban digital devices? It’s tempting but misguided.

As the saying goes, “The same fire that melts butter hardens steel.” Devices, like fire, can either illuminate or destroy. Denying students access out of fear is akin to refusing to teach them to swim for fear of drowning. Instead, we must equip them with the skills and ethics to navigate digital waters.

Digital distraction is real. But the greater threat is digital disempowerment. If we fail to teach our children to use technology with intention, agency, and empathy, we fail them not just as students, but as citizens of a digital future.

Tan Seng Chee, Shanti Divaharan and Chen Wenli are associate professors at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 

Read the original article here. 

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