Exposure to Inappropriate Images Tops Parents’ Concerns About Children’s Internet Use

Experts in cybersecurity and children's rights warned of a lack of parental control over children's excessive internet use during winter leave, pointing to the potential for inappropriate content, such as blackmail and bullying, while a recent UAE study showed that there are specific fears that dominate the minds of parents when their children navigate web sites, most notably "inappropriate images" and "interaction with strangers".

Experts emphasized the need to monitor children's activity on social media and the Internet in general, so that they are not exposed to inappropriate content.

In detail, cybersecurity expert Sami A Nour said that "the effects of excessive Internet use are concentrated in isolation, lack of attention, and lack of focus, which negatively affects personality formation and valuation, reflecting on self-confidence, social and emotional intelligence".

He added that "entertainment content is a source of joy and pleasure, but over-following it is accompanied by over-releasing dopamine, which loses its interesting elements, and unwittingly pushes children to try to discover unfamiliar passages".

Sami A Nour stressed the importance of parental control in determining usage hours and diversifying between apps and media, "For example, one hour a day can be set to use Instagram, one hour for YouTube, and four hours for WhatsApp to communicate with family and friends and so on. And there's one thing that most families overlook, and that's good manners, if you ask parents to complain about excessive use of social media, while you find them holding their phones all the time, kids imitate more than they learn, so if they have a hobby, then the child will do something similar".

He urged parents to provide an alternative, "Preventing children from technology creates a huge gap, but every family should set up a holiday program with the children's activities, and even if they're fun, they won't use the devices as much, but without those activities, the devices will undoubtedly be the only option for the kids".

He went on to say that statistics published by the UAE's Digital Quality of Life Council showed that a majority of parents confirmed that "exposure to inappropriate images" is their biggest digital concern, while others said that "interaction with strangers" is the main concern, and others considered "e-bullying" to be their biggest digital concern, and parents did not exclude the possibility of "exposure to dangerous games" from the main concerns.

He pointed out that the best solution to use security is to educate children, enhance their critical thinking to deal with different situations, and adjust privacy settings on their phones, including social media and games, to limit their contact with strangers, be it voice or written communication, knowing that each app includes its own privacy settings and parental control.

Moza al-Shoomi, Vice President of the UAE Association for Children's Rights, said that the biggest risk from excessive use of digital media is children entering free time at a time when parental control is low, exposing them to the risk of being exposed to topics older than them, and presenting ideas that are not appropriate for them.

She added that the danger lies in being exposed to intrusive ideas, contrary to the principles and values of the society in which they live, pointing out that "some people sometimes think that the danger may come from inappropriate online games, but the greatest danger comes from strangers who are identified online, which may expose them to cyber, sexual or violent blackmail".

She went on to say that "a child seeks curiosity, especially in adolescence, begins to align with the virtual world, until he reaches a certain excitement or knowledge, and then is guided by his desires and curiosity; we are faced with a vast world of risks for the child, especially the period when parental control is diminished, such as the holiday period, because it constitutes an empty period".

She explains that "there are two kinds of controls, mechanical and realistic, the first is where the guardian determines when the children sleep, and if he lets them follow them himself until he knows what devices they're using. Automated surveillance, on the other hand, can access the website of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, identify applications that can block children from certain sites, and control Internet-connected phones".

Al-Shoomi stressed that if parents do not have electronic knowledge, they cannot protect children from danger; the NCA has on its website comprehensive control awareness, pointing out that "children aged 15 to 18 years are most at risk, because the child enters a different age and schooling stage, is the most dangerous among its various age stages, and therefore the guardian must follow awareness and control, in addition to proper guidance".

In turn, Director of the Sharjah Department of Child Safety, Hanadi Salem Yavfi, confirmed that safe Internet use is one of the issues of interest to the Sharjah Child Safety Administration. Since 2019, the administration has launched the "E-Security Ambassadors" initiative, in partnership with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Digital Government, the Ministry of Community Development, the Khalifa Empowerment Aadhaar program, and the General Command of the Sharjah Police. To instruct children on how to follow safe online practices, and how to deal with cyber risks and cybercrimes that target them, most notably blackmail, hacking and cyberbullying.

She added that the Child Safety Administration has organized several workshops on safe internet use, to raise awareness of how to avoid bullying and abuse in the virtual world, and focus on raising awareness about the importance of learning steps related to securing social media accounts to prevent children from being hacked and protected from cyberbullying.

She urged parents to provide protection for their children to prevent them from being hacked, by securing electronic devices with basic protection programs, teaching children how to secure their social media accounts, reducing Internet usage hours and playing time on electronic devices or connected phones, and focusing on live games that enhance a child's interaction with the real world around him, allowing him to make friends with his peers.

Sami A Nour:

• "Parental control should include setting hours of use, and diversifying between applications and means".

The almond banana:

• "Children between the ages of 15 and 18 are most at risk. And we have to strengthen the control".

I 'm a young man .

• "Extortion and hacking and cyberbullying. The most widespread digital crime".

Source: Emarat Al Youm