Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Abu Dhabi: A member of the Federal National Council on Tuesday demanded that the government be vigilant and take immediate action to protect teenagers against threats posed by social networking websites such as Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter.

Naama Al Sharhan, a member of the House from Ras Al Khaimah, put a question to Shamma Suhail Faris Al Mazroui, Minister of State for Youth, about plans to protect teens against the dangers of social media.

“For teens, social media is an essential part of their lives, with about 90 per cent of teens using some form of social media and 75 per cent having a profile on a social networking site.

“Being a teen can be tricky. Sensation-seeking and impulsiveness are normal parts of figuring out who they are. We know teens are likely to struggle with depression and anxiety so it makes sense these emotions will influence how they are influenced by other social media users,” Al Sharhan warned.

Al Sharhan also warned against terrorist ideologies being promoted through social networking sites with the presence of strangers who may be there to ‘groom’ other members as well as other risks including cyberbullying, invasion of privacy, identity theft, seeing offensive images and messages.

The Minister of State for Youth said in a letter to the House, protection of teens against campaigns targeting them is a common responsibility of ministries of Interior, Education, and Culture and Knowledge Development.

The UAE Youth Council is an interactive platform that links youth to their society and enables them to respond to the challenges facing society in general and youth in particular. Furthermore, youth councils employ youth’s capabilities and experiences to serve the Emirati society and achieve its happiness.

Furthermore, a National Programme that aims to consolidate the values of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Emirati youth and future generations was launched.

The programme contains different and comprehensive initiatives that include campaigns, programmes, education sessions and directly interacting with Emirati youths by cooperation with youth councils that have been established across the emirates.

The programme was approved by Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the General Women’s Union and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, following a presentation by the Minister of State for Youth.

The programme’s values include honouring one’s parents, respect, giving, tolerance, diligence, modesty, loyalty and positivity. The programme also includes a comprehensive values guide, national campaigns and youth ambassadors for consolidating Zayed’s values in Emirati youths.

The minister stressed Emirati youths “are the most precious thing we have, and Emirati values are the most precious thing that youths have”. “The values that the UAE was founded on are what will protect our society today, and those values will remain in our youth for the rest of their lives so that they can build the future of the UAE.”

By Samir Salama Associate Editor

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