MDA's Role in the Community

Reaching Out Through MDA-Supported Events

Media is an indispensable part of our lives. We rely on its many forms for information, communication and entertainment. At the same time, there are endless messages from different media competing for our attention, making it important for people to understand the power of media to influence and shape our beliefs and perceptions.

The MDA aims to create greater public awareness and appreciation of the reach and power of media through various approaches and activities.

As part of our community outreach efforts to support and promote games development, we have supported various initiatives on both the public and industry front. These included events and initiatives such as:

Reaching Out Through Media Fiesta

Public outreach of MDA's media content classification messages and Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) initiatives kicked off on a high note with the launch of inaugural Media Fiesta in March 2009.

Media Fiesta is a annual month-long, high octane festival of fun activities where Singaporeans of all age groups experiment with and engage in media for work, learning and play. The Main Event at Marina Square in March 2009 showcased a wide range of media content and technologies in the areas of animation, games, publishing, film, broadcast and Interactive Digital Media, reflecting the diversity of Singapore’s evolving media landscape.

MDA was able to share its content classification messages with the public while partners such as Channel U and okto showcased new and behind-the-scenes initiatives to raise public appreciation for Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) content. Other PSB commissioned programmes on Suria and Vasantham were also showcased.

Aside from the Main Event, 40 other fringe events happening throughout the month provided other areas of interest to engage Singaporeans. Through all these activities and programmes, the Media Fiesta was able to reach out to close to 78,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life, helping them better appreciate the variety of media choices for everyone.

For more information on Media Fiesta, please visit here

Reaching Out Through Media Classification

Public outreach for Media Classification included a campaign launched to introduce the Video Games Classification system. This campaign aimed to raise public awareness of the Video Games Classification System and its benefits as well as game wellness and responsible gaming.

The campaign was effectively carried out through various channels such as ZoCard and educational brochures, and in six months, reached out to about 3.5 million people. A Video Games Database on the MDA website (hyperlink to Video Games database) was developed to allow parents and consumers to search for the ratings of a game.

Reaching Out Through Cyber Wellness

Through public outreach, MDA advocates the responsible use of the Internet and healthy gaming among Singaporeans.

In order to raise awareness among educators, parents, youth and the public, we work with :

The main aim is to disseminate the core values of cyber wellness and the importance of taking ownership of what you read, see, and hear in the media.

The four cyber wellness core values are:

1) Balanced Lifestyle: Users should embrace the internet and integrate it into their daily lives. However, a balance needs to be maintained between the physical and virtual worlds.

2) Embracing the Net and Inspiring Others: Users should harness the positive powers of the Internet to be proactive and contributors who can inspire and benefit others.

3) Astuteness: Users need to be astute and street smart when navigating the Internet.

4) Respect and Responsibility: Users need to have a sense of respect for the Internet and for other individuals. They should not abuse the power of the Internet or condone subversive content.

MDA commissioned a special programme Once Upon A Cyberspace to raise awareness among 10 to 14 year olds and their families on the importance of using new media and Internet safety. The six one-minute interstitials ran on okto for six weeks in April 2009 covering issues on cyber-bullying, games addiction, dangers of sharing personal information online, online socialisation, invasion of privacy and Internet viruses. Various courses are also run by a number of partner organisations like TOUCH Community Services, SCOGA (Cybersports & Online Gaming Association) and Fei Yue Counseling Services for parents and children.