Singapore supports phased access for children to social media — Channel NewsAsia

In Singapore, about 80% of parents and nearly 70% of young people supported phased access for children to social media rather than a complete ban. These were the results of discussions held by Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information with more than 2,000 parents and young people, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Surveys, focus groups and meetings at schools were conducted from June to August 2026. Participants believed that education, digital literacy and the gradual expansion of access to platforms would be a more sustainable approach than blanket restrictions. Some young people warned that an overly strict ban could create a “forbidden fruit” effect and only increase interest in social media.

Age-appropriate access

Parents and young people generally agreed that children aged zero to six should not have access to social media, while users aged seven to 15 need services adapted to their age. Young participants more often supported broader access after the age of 16, considering such users more mature and able to independently control their online time. At the same time, some respondents stressed that age alone is not always a sufficient criterion of maturity.

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The ministry said the results support the government’s proposed approach: age-appropriate access and changes to platform operations that will strengthen protections for minors. Next year, the authorities intend to introduce legislation on verifying users’ ages and safer social media design for teenagers.

Concerns over excessive use

Excessive use of social media became one of the main causes for concern among both parents and young people. About 84% of parents also named children’s access to inappropriate content among the key risks. Discussion participants noted that autoplay videos, infinite scrolling and personalised recommendations can encourage compulsive use of platforms.

Among the proposed standard safeguards, parents most often supported disabling autoplay, disabling the ability to send private messages, and daily screen-time limits. At the same time, they wanted to be able to adjust such settings depending on the child’s needs. Young people cautioned that strict limits could hinder learning and extracurricular activities.