More than a third of families living in Sharjah do not monitor the online activities of their children, according to a recent study.
The emirate's Child Safety Department's (CSD) survey of more than 12,000 families over 14 months found that 37.6 per cent of respondents left their children to their own devices online.
However, the survey also showed that 10.4 per cent of parents did not allow their children to access the internet at all, while 23.5 per cent offered them internet access "only sometimes".
More than half of parents polled – 55 per cent – used parental controls to monitor online activity and downloads.
But 7 per cent did not know such controls existed.
The websites most visited by children in the survey were YouTube and gaming platforms.
A representative sample was selected at random among Emirati and foreign resident families in 2018 and 2019.
"The data obtained will help the growth and prosperity of society, and ensure protection of its youngest members who are most vulnerable to online crimes and internet addiction," said Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, director of the CSD.
Results also revealed behavioural changes observed by parents in their children, as a result of access to the internet.
The most significant was "intellectual development", according to respondents, while "academic achievement" was ranked as the least significant.
The study suggested partnering with nurseries and schools to develop programmes that raise awareness about e-safety and potential dangers online.
Data was collected by a field team from the Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development.
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