Technology1 min read

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

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The limited series debuted on November 2 and releases weekly installments every Monday through November 30. Produced by Studio+65 and Fa’izah Sani, the show originated after the newsroom interviewed 51 parents who requested more nuanced, open conversations on digital dilemmas. Each episode brings together specialists, caregivers, and youths to discuss research findings and navigate persistent parental guilt. Listeners are provided with practical techniques intended to strengthen real-world bonds and minimize everyday device battles.

Key points

  • Device usage should be addressed as an issue intertwined with family boundaries, learning…: Device usage should be addressed as an issue intertwined with family boundaries, learning, and emotional regulation.
  • The podcast moves away from lecturing about digital dangers to focus on scientific findin…: The podcast moves away from lecturing about digital dangers to focus on scientific findings and practical wisdom.
  • Engaging directly with experts and youth helps parents replace common device battles with…: Engaging directly with experts and youth helps parents replace common device battles with meaningful real-world connections.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

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…

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