As a father of a 10-year-old daughter, founder of myFirst, G-Jay Yong, 41, is also well aware of the pressures that children face once they gain access to smartphones.
Yong, who studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore, was initially inspired to create a wearable smartphone after his nephew got separated from his mother in a mall, and could not reach her. It struck Yong that young children needed a way to stay connected with their parents without the risks that came with a smartphone.
He later developed myFirst Circle app. The goal, he explained, is to let children have a kind of “tech internship” to help them learn to navigate digital social spaces safely and responsibly before they start exploring mainstream social media.
Rather than hand over a smartphone all at once or shield children entirely, Yong believes in preparing them gradually. With myFirst Circle, Yong hopes that children learn to manage the emotional challenges that come with being online, such as receiving negative comments.
“Technology is unavoidable but do we want to give it all to them suddenly or let them go through some kind of probation period?” he said.
“For example, they can learn how to manage their emotions and responses online when they get negative feedback. That way, when they step into the real digital world, they’ll know how to filter what’s right and what’s wrong.”
The myFirst Fone R2 is priced at S$299 and more details can be found on their website. A new version, the S4, is expected to drop from July 2025.
