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JEDDAH – Children of 91 percent Saudi families use smart devices and electronic games, with 43 percent of these children aged less than 5. They spend an average of four hours daily on these devices, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Center for Conducting Surveys, an affiliate of King Abdulaziz National Dialogue Center.
The survey results showed that most Saudi children started using electronic devices from an average age of five and half years. “These children prefer entertainment apps by 79 percent, followed by social networking sites 11 percent, educational apps 7.5 percent and apps of hobbies 2.5 percent.
“About 54 percent of children spend two to five hours daily on electronic and smart devices while 25 percent of them spend more than five hours and 21 percent less than two hours,” said the survey, whose results were carried by Al-Madina daily.
About 50 percent of parents said they monitor their children while using electronic and smart equipment occasionally while seven percent of them do not follow their children at all while using such devices. Thirty-seven percent of parents spoke about the negative impact of electronic equipment on their children, the paper reported.
© The Saudi Gazette 2017
