Media plays a key role in shaping the opinion of members of the community as well as shaping the personality of the child, Ali al Jabri, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Information, has said. Speaking at a two-day seminar titled ‘Our Children and the Future Media’ in the Public Children’s Library in Al Qurum, which began on Tuesday, he said media plays a role in spreading social values and strengthening family and community affiliation.
The seminar, a part of the cultural activities of Muscat International Book Fair, was held under the patronage of Al Jabri. In a presentation, Aroub Soubh said the electronic games have become “one of the most dangerous social activities as children interact with players from different countries and those players aren’t necessarily children”. Soubh said children today spend an average of six hours every day in front of the computer and TV, but less than four minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play.
Sixty-nine per cent of children in the age group 2-5 years can operate a computer mouse, she said.
More small children can open a browser (25 per cent) than swim unaided (20 per cent). More 2-3-year-olds can play a computer game (58 per cent) than ride a bike (52 per cent). A report by the Children and Nature Network warns the “mental health of 21st century children is at risk because they are missing out on exposure to the natural world enjoyed by past generations”. Aroub said technology has been impacting teenagers, with 56 per cent among them saying they have been the target of some form of online harassment.
Twenty-nine per cent admitted to having posted embarrassing photos or spread rumours about someone, while 21 per cent said they have received nude photos from others.
About half of those involved say they felt pressured to do so.
Dr Amer al Aisari said animation often promotes absurdity and violence and encourages children to win regardless of the means. “The end justifies the means.”
Al Aisari said that in February 2015, Makkah newspaper published a study which found children were “socially ignorant as a result of isolation resulting from addiction to technological games in their rooms”.The study found 73 per cent of parents wanted their children to reduce TV watching, 66 per cent spoke about dangers of social sites with their children, 53 per cent believed their children will involve them in their problems.
Forty-three per cent of parents supervise children on social media, 39 per cent set protection in children’s devices, 67 per cent fear privacy violations, 64 per cent fear inappropriate content, 56 per cent fear verbal violence and 54 per cent fear impersonation.
Technology had an impact on students, with 71 per cent suffering loss of focus, 59 per cent having problems with writing, 59 per cent having direct communication problems and 48 per cent lacking critical thinking.
Of course, not everything about it was negative, with 79 per cent of teachers using technology as an education tool, while 74 per cent saw the usefulness of tablets in education.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
