SINGAPORE – A new mobile application has been developed by the Ministry of Education, which is designed to get parents to sit down with their children and teach them cyber-wellness skills, such as what to do if they encounter cyber-bullying, and the dangers of online chatrooms and game addiction.

Called C-Quest, the free game app is designed for parents with children aged 10 to 14. It provides different scenarios in the form of multiple-choice questions, where the players have to select the right option. An explanation is also provided each time the player chooses a wrong answer.

Parents of the players are encouraged to question their child and talk about their choices along the way.

In a statement announcing the game issued on Thursday (Sept 18), Deputy Director-General of Education (Curriculum) Wong Siew Hoong said: “Parents play a critical role in shaping their children’s values, as well as in guiding their online behaviour, and monitoring their computer use. Through playing the game with their children, MOE hopes that the app will serve as a tool to encourage conversations between parents and their children on cyber wellness.”

Mr Chong Ee Jay, Assistant Manager of TOUCH Cyber Wellness, said the game was helpful in that parents can see how their children respond to the scenarios given. “From there, they can further question their thoughts. They can use it as an opportunity to engage a conversation with their children, to share with them what are the proper ways to respond or what are the right measures to take,” he said.

Ms Vonni Lawer, a mother of a nine-year-old who participated in C-Quest’s app trial, said that she has attempted to teach her daughter about cyber-wellness in the past after learning more through talks hosted by her daughter’s school, but her daughter did not seem to understand.

“When I played the app (C-Quest) with her, I could make use of the scenarios in the questions and I felt that she can understand better,” she said

She added that while she could now control her daughter’s access to the internet by setting passwords on her devices, it would become more difficult when she grows older. “I hope that by teaching and reminding her what she should do and what she should not now while she still listens will help,” she said.

C-Quest is now available for download for android users whereas the iOS version will be ready by November 1 this year.

For more cyber wellness tips, parents can also visit MOE’s Cyber Wellness Portal at http://ict.moe.edu.sg/cyberwellness/ and the MOE Parents in Education portal at http://parents-in-education.moe.gov.sg/primary-education/how-can-i-support-my-child-s-growth-and-development/cyber-wellness.