38 percent of parents in Middle East struggle to protect their children online

Psychologist recommends time limits for surfing, highlights risks posed by certain websites to youngsters

While more than half of children between the ages of 6 and 9 use the internet every day, 38 percent of parents in the Middle East feel they cannot control what their children access online.

This leaves many at risk of viewing inappropriate content, becoming victims of cyberbullying, or sharing private data unintentionally, and such is the changing landscape of the web that many parents do not know how to cope.

The internet has done wonders for bridging cultures, facilitating business and improving education. But it is still a dangerous place for the uninitiated. And, as children become more technologically advanced than their parents, when still at a vulnerable stage in their development, this provides challenges for those trying to protect them.

Dr. Afnan Abdul Fattah, an orthodontic specialist at Taibah University, is a mother of two young daughters, 5 and 8 years old, and has experienced this disparity first hand.

“I do not know how to use the smart TV anymore because it is more complicated, but the TV is very simple for my children to use. They know how to switch from YouTube to cable channels and to Netflix. Sometimes I need them to do that for me,” she said.

“There are things that I do differently, if I search in Google I would type the things that I want to search for, whereas my daughter would use Siri or the microphone. She is using a faster approach, so I do really think children are advancing quite rapidly in terms of their use of technology.”

Many parents, at a loss for how to keep pace, often find themselves powerless to rein in their children’s web time.

Dr. Aisha Karman, a psychologist, believes some parents are simply not aware of the risks posed by excessive use of the internet to children.

“Controlling children’s use of the internet is difficult nowadays, but generally, children under 6 years should not use it. When children enter sites such as YouTube, there may be inappropriate clips that they might be exposed to, and without the supervision of a parent