Quality check : improving the quality of screen time for young children

• Main Authors: Ng, Corinna, Ng, Si Min, Ng, Wenli, Ng, Viviane Si Jie
• Other Authors: Kang Hyunjin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Social sciences::Communication
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/155846
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This report presents Quality Check, a health communication campaign advocating for the improvement of the quality of children’s screen time. Quality Check targets parents in Singapore with children aged two to four years old, addressing the lack of knowledge on the characteristics of quality screen time, and the lack of resources to carry out the two key actions of selecting quality programmes and co-viewing. Based on our research guided by the Parental Mediation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, we developed the big idea “Seeing screen time as opportunities for learning instead of hours around the clock” which aims to maximise the benefits while minimising the risks of screen time. We reached our target audience through online engagement activities such as webinars and social media content from December 2021 through February 2022. We conceptualised the Quality Check Challenge, a week-long virtual event, to provide parents with opportunities to practise co-viewing and selecting quality content. Based on the outcome evaluation results, parents exposed to the campaign showed an increase in (a) positive attitude towards selecting quality programmes and co-viewing, (b) perceived behavioural control over selecting quality programmes and co-viewing, (c) intention to select quality programmes and co-view, and (d) behaviour of selecting quality programmes and co-viewing with children. Quality Check raised awareness on the importance of quality screen time as children are being exposed to technology at an increasingly young age. As the technology landscape develops, there is room for expansion to target older children and more content types.