In a poll for "Emirates Today" about its negative impact

Readers: Family bonding protects children from social media

• Readers emphasized the role of the family in maintaining balance in children's relationship with modern technology.

  archival

picture

Arab families considered that rapprochement between family members, encouraging children to engage in various sports and recreational activities, and their participation in these activities, are the most prominent means of protecting children and adolescents from the negative impact that social networking sites may have on their personalities and behavior.

And during their participation in answering the "Emirates Today" survey that the newspaper presented on its social media platforms: How do we protect children from the negative impact of social media sites and platforms, at a time when it has become impossible to isolate them or prevent them from following them?

Many expressed their concern about the increasing negative impact of these sites, especially in light of the superficiality of most of the content presented through them and the promotion of extraneous behaviors on society, in addition to encouraging consumption values, paying attention to appearances, and getting rich quickly, at the expense of morals and values ​​that the family is trying to raise its children on her.

Between prevention and persuasion

The answers of the participating readers were divided into two main parts. The first is that preventing teenagers and children from following these sites is not impossible, and it is the only solution to protect them.

The second believes that prevention does not help, and there must be a discussion with the teenager, and an attempt to answer the questions that arise in his thinking, so that he is able to confront the different ideas, and choose what suits his habits and traditions from them.

The reader, Bujassem, considered that the behavior in this situation is due to the family, and for him, he prefers not to operate smart devices, such as mobile phones and “iPads”, at home, except for necessity, such as using them in education.

The reader, Doaa, also confirmed that preventing children and adolescents from following social networking sites is not impossible, explaining that she had prevented her son from using Facebook for four years now.

The reader Ghada pointed out that the ban is the only solution, and it should not be limited to children only, but to the whole family, so that adults can be role models for young people.

Reader Al-Nur Bashir took another direction, noting that the use of social media platforms could be restricted to those under the age of 20.

The role of the family is central

While reader Sandri Jansen emphasized the role of the family in maintaining a balance in children's relationship with and use of modern technologies, adding: “If there is parental participation in any activity with their children, this allows parents to limit the period of child use of smart devices. In short, play with your child, share his activities, and always set an example for him, and parents should achieve diversity in the recreational activities practiced by their children, which helps to limit and reduce the time of using smart devices, in the interest of practicing other activities, such as playing, walking, jogging, and exercising. Sports in general. She concluded her comment by saying: "Unfortunately in our time, most family members live in their own world inside a bubble, even when they are in the same house, so parents must first get out of the bubble, and live a healthy life and style, because the child is a reflection of the rest of the family." .

The reader, Abu Khaled, said: “My opinion is that parents use a program in the mobile to lock any unwanted programs, and prevent downloading programs except by referring to the parents and consulting them, such as setting a (password) for each unwanted application, thus ensuring that the child is not able to open anything unwanted. in it, even in the absence of parents.

plurality of activities

Reader Alaa Abu Watfa agreed with this view, stressing the need for parents to monitor the programs that children watch, as well as the period of their use of social networking sites, while involving them in various sports and movement activities.

Pointing out that there are applications and programs that are suitable for children and adolescents, such as "YouTube Kids", and there are applications through which the sites and applications used by the child or teenager can be monitored and controlled.

Emphasizing that proper education, introducing children to sound morals, what they must adhere to, and what they must leave out, are the most important factors on which the family should focus.

This opinion was also agreed with by a number of readers, including Sahar, Mustafa Al-Shihabi and Marwa, who called for occupying the children’s time by engaging in various voluntary, sports and social activities, as these activities form their personalities, inculcate positive values ​​in them, and at the same time fill their free time with benefit.

The reader, Muhammad Al-Ajmi, said: "We need strict legislation that embodies real control and prevents every spoiler from tampering with what is published on these electronic platforms, while paying attention to moral education and internal home control at the same time."

An account called "dxbiker83" gave a different opinion, saying: "I am in favor of opening everything to all people, and the child and adolescent must be persuaded by the style of the age, not by the authoritarian and beating style, because this leads to stubbornness."

Al Noor Bashir:

• “The use of social media platforms can be restricted to those under the age of 20.”

Muhammad Al-Ajmi:

• “We need strict legislation to prevent every spoiler from tampering with online platforms.”

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news