Police warn parents, teenagers against danger of online games
Spending long hours on internet is both a health and safety hazard
Four children were taken to a hospital in the UAE suffering from health issues due to long hours spent playing online games, an official said last week.
Dr Khalid Al Salman, a legal adviser in the Monitoring and Control Centre in Abu Dhabi, said his friend took his son to a hospital in Sharjah after he suffered cramps while playing an online game for hours.
“He took him to the hospital and doctors told him that his son was the fourth case admitted to the hospital in a month. Parents shouldn’t allow their children to stay in front of the screen for long hours. One hour per day is enough,” Dr Salman said at a press conference organised by Dubai Police to warn about the dangers of online games for children and teenagers.
Dubai Police said they received 1,626 complaints and calls this year from worried parents regarding their children’s addiction to gaming, though no crime related to online games was recorded.
Unhealthy exposure
Meanwhile, Dubai Police are warning parents, teenagers and children about the danger of free online games, as they can potentially expose themselves to hackers and fraudsters, as well as harm their health due to long hours spent in front of computer screens.
Online gaming, including answering quizzes on social media platforms or violent games like Fortinite have become popular among youngsters.
Col Omar Mohammad Bin Hammad, deputy director of the Anti-Economic Crime Department at Dubai Police, said they are undertaking an awareness campaign for one month.
“We want to educate parents and the young generation about the danger of such games. Children and teenagers can be exposed to hackers or strangers who tend to exploit users’ personal information,” Col Bin Hammad said.
Dubai Police have online patrols to monitor dangerous games that encourage suicide, violence, drugs or violate privacy and blocks them in coordination with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.