Over 95 percent of Omani children own electronic devices: Study

Muscat: More than 95 percent of Omani children own electronic devices, according to a study conducted by the Ministry of Social Development (MoD), in 2020.

Human societies have witnessed an increase in the use of social media in recent years, especially the use of it by children, and their influence on the content presented. The greatest role in the process of socialisation falls on the family and school, especially during the first years of a child's life.

Adnan bin Mustafa Al-Farsi, Director of the Technical Secretariat of the National Committee for Family Affairs, said: “Technological developments are very rapid, as the whole world has moved into our hands through a small device (smartphone), in addition to the rise of applications such as Instagram, Snapchat and the like, all of which have become a frightening obsession for families and societies."

Al-Farsi mentioned that the Ministry of Social Development in 2020 conducted a study on the impact of the use of social media on the upbringing of children in Omani society (educational, social, psychological, health), which was applied to a sample of school students of over 2,000 male and female children from intermediate school stages.

The study concluded that the percentage of children owning electronic devices of all kinds is 99 percent, of which more than 75 percent own mobile phones. More than 45 percent of children own computers, more than 35 percent own tablets, and 5 percent own other devices.

Al-Farsi stated that the study showed that more than 35 percent of children own video games, and they differ in terms of the way they are played and displayed, as most of them are linked to violence, murder, hatred, and many ideas alien to our societies. In addition, these games display inappropriate and shameful images, and may invite children and families alike to accept and not condemn them in the long term, which contributes to delivering implicit messages to generations and changing their thinking.

The study indicated that the percentage of children’s use of smart devices from 1-2 hours amounted to 24 percent. From 2-3 hours, they constituted 21 percent, and from 3-5 hours they represented 17 percent. The study also showed that more than 50 percent of children use the Internet every two to five hours and more, and frequent use occurs during weekends, holidays and night time. This is a serious indicator, as more than 89 percent of children have private accounts on social media.

On the impact of social media on children and their upbringing in a correct, social, and healthy upbringing; the Director of the Technical Secretariat of the National Committee for Family Affairs said: "This appears through what we observe of the behaviours of some parents, as they tend to occupy their children with these devices to avoid harassment and inconvenience to themselves, and distract them at the same time. The family dialogue has become somewhat shaky due to the parents’ preoccupation with the devices."

Al-Farsi stressed that there is a great and deep impact of social media, and amid the spread and diversity of programmes and applications, some have begun to use them to share their private life, which sometimes exposes them to criticism. Sharing this with their children may affect their psyche and have negative effects in the long term, even if its effects are not clear in short periods.

He explained that children's use of social media platforms, from most to least, comes in this order: WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Messenger.

The reasons why children use these applications are different, as more than 90 percent use them for entertainment, and the lowest percentage is for those who use them to search for information and learn about world events. As for communicating with others, making new friends and following celebrities, their percentage exceeds 85 percent.

"If the child finds a family that includes him and listens to his views, and he can express his thoughts in front of them without fears and restrictions, he would not resort to a virtual world, which makes him vulnerable to negative thoughts because he finds someone who takes advantage of that and supports him, so he continues in this way, and this affects his upbringing, his behavior and his personality, so he uses it to keep himself away from his family and social surroundings."

Al-Farsi said that there are reports on social networking sites in the Arab world and their impact on the values and psychological aspects of the family, indicating that there is a lack of interaction between family members, and that children had creativity in discovering programmes in technology, but the large number of entertainment programmes killed their creative side.

Studies indicate that the frequent use of social media, video games and modern technologies affects the child's nerves, especially the nerves responsible for mathematics and arithmetic. It is also generally considered a waste of time, weakens family and social relations, and facilitates kidnappings, murders, theft, and the establishment of false identities and fictitious relationships.

Adnan Al-Farsi emphasised the role of the family in digital empowerment and social media management by activating monitoring radars linked to some smart applications, reducing the hours children use the Internet, enhancing their confidence through dialogue and exchanging digital experiences. In addition, he emphasised the role of teaching children the basics of using the Internet and how to preserve their personal and private information.