CHANGING THE FRAME
If we are to match the pace of digital change, we must update not just our policies, but our posture – from gatekeeping to partnering youth.
We will need to rethink what digital maturity looks like. Instead of asking, “How do we keep children off these platforms?”, we could ask: “What would these platforms look like if children had a say in how they worked?”
Instead of measuring safety by access restrictions, we could consider: What skills, values and supports help young people flourish in a world shaped by intelligent systems?
Instead of building around children, we could try building with them.
Regulation is an important start, but it’s not enough. What is needed now is a longer view – one that begins with the recognition that children will not just live in the digital future. They will build it.
As Mr Wong reminded us, every generation faces anxiety over new technologies and some of those fears, like those levelled at comics and rock and roll, have faded with time. The goal is not to dismiss concerns, but to respond with insight rather than instinct.
Chew Han Ei is Senior Research Fellow and Head of Governance and Economy at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore.