One study found that children in Saudi Arabia spend more than 2.5 hours a day on mobile devices, the third highest duration of the 10 countries surveyed. (Reuters)

ANNA PUKAS
January 15, 2019

The region is one of the world’s most highly digitized markets, putting youth at risk of psychological issues
More than half of parents surveyed in KSA and UAE said time spent on mobile phones affected their child’s quality of sleep

LONDON: Is social media damaging young minds? That is the question hotly debated by more traditional, “older” media.
Scientists are increasingly concerned about the effect on children of spending long periods of time online — not least because they know so little about it.

It is a key issue in the Gulf region, which is one of the world’s most highly digitized markets, with children in Saudi Arabia, for example, spending more time online than most.

“There is very limited research on very young children, by which I mean between 18 months and three years old,” said Dr. Rachel Andrew, a clinical psychologist in north-west England who specializes in family psychology.

“It is very early to say whether the brain is affected and so there is no clear advice on the amount of screen time that correlates across differences in emotional health.”

A study by Norton, involving nearly 7,000 people with children aged between five and 16 across the Middle East and Europe, found that children in Saudi Arabia spend an average of two hours, 42 minutes connected to mobile devices — the third highest duration of the 10 countries surveyed, and above the average of two hours, 35 minutes.

More than half the parents questioned in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE said that time spent on mobile phones affected their child’s quality of sleep. About three-quarters of respondents in both markets said they were concerned about the risk of online bullying.

The UAE has some of the youngest digi-addicts in the world. The average age at which an Emirati child receives his or her first tablet is just seven. And this is despite many parents feeling there should be no phones allowed until the child is at least 10.

When it comes to who spends most time on digital devices, children in the UAE rank fifth in the world, according to the Norton study. They were also concerned about the impact of devices such as mobile phones, tablets and the like on their child’s social skills, mental health and physical fitness.

A smaller poll of 1,000 parents taken in late 2018 showed that nearly half — 44 percent — supported banning smartphones for the under-16s.

And it seems they are right to be worried. A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that as little as two hours a day of screen time can be detrimental. Children who spend longer tend to achieve lower scores in thinking and language skills tests.

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