Awareness campaign highlights effects of social media on children
Published: 04:08 PM,Aug 13,2024 | EDITED : 08:08 PM,Aug 13,2024
STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT, AUGUST 13
In alignment with the national campaign 'Our Children, Our Responsibility', the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), in collaboration with the Muscat Unicef office, organised a special event aimed at promoting awareness of the increasing risks posed by social media to children.
The event represents a significant effort by the Ministry, in partnership with the National Committee for Family Affairs and Unicef, and with the support of the Ministries of Education, Health, and Information, alongside the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Held in Dhofar Governorate, the event drew attention to the harmful effects of children's growing engagement with social media platforms. With many children spending substantial hours each day on these platforms, the risks are mounting, including potential health issues, psychological challenges, and social problems.
Specific dangers include exposure to inappropriate content, experiences of online bullying, and the threats posed by cybercrime, such as demands for personal data and online blackmail.
A key feature of the event was a short theatrical performance by children, dramatising the potential health and social dangers of social media use. The event also incorporated interactive sessions to involve the children and audience in discussions aimed at raising awareness of these issues.
Meanwhile, the NCSI shared insights from a survey conducted between February and April 2024, examining children's use of social media in Oman. The findings revealed a significant rise in social media usage among children since 2019, with 78 per cent now using these platforms, 58 per cent of them daily. Parents generally agree that 16 years is an appropriate age for children to begin using social media.
However, 22 per cent of children were reported to avoid these platforms due to concerns about information security, lack of essential skills, and worries about health and social impacts.
The survey highlighted YouTube as the most popular platform among children, with an 82 per cent usage rate, followed by WhatsApp at 47 per cent, and Instagram at 31 per cent, with other platforms being less commonly used.
MUSCAT, AUGUST 13
In alignment with the national campaign 'Our Children, Our Responsibility', the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), in collaboration with the Muscat Unicef office, organised a special event aimed at promoting awareness of the increasing risks posed by social media to children.
The event represents a significant effort by the Ministry, in partnership with the National Committee for Family Affairs and Unicef, and with the support of the Ministries of Education, Health, and Information, alongside the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Held in Dhofar Governorate, the event drew attention to the harmful effects of children's growing engagement with social media platforms. With many children spending substantial hours each day on these platforms, the risks are mounting, including potential health issues, psychological challenges, and social problems.
Specific dangers include exposure to inappropriate content, experiences of online bullying, and the threats posed by cybercrime, such as demands for personal data and online blackmail.
A key feature of the event was a short theatrical performance by children, dramatising the potential health and social dangers of social media use. The event also incorporated interactive sessions to involve the children and audience in discussions aimed at raising awareness of these issues.
Meanwhile, the NCSI shared insights from a survey conducted between February and April 2024, examining children's use of social media in Oman. The findings revealed a significant rise in social media usage among children since 2019, with 78 per cent now using these platforms, 58 per cent of them daily. Parents generally agree that 16 years is an appropriate age for children to begin using social media.
However, 22 per cent of children were reported to avoid these platforms due to concerns about information security, lack of essential skills, and worries about health and social impacts.
The survey highlighted YouTube as the most popular platform among children, with an 82 per cent usage rate, followed by WhatsApp at 47 per cent, and Instagram at 31 per cent, with other platforms being less commonly used.