JEDDAH — Many parents living in the Kingdom expressed concern over the safety of their children when they surf the Internet. Children allowed unsupervised Internet access often fall victim to inappropriate content that can damage their psyche. Generally, accidental exposure to inappropriate images or content, solicitation by sexual predators in chat rooms and social networking sites are some of the leading dangers posed by the Internet for young children. Ahmed Khalil, a 32-year-old Saudi engineer living in Riyadh, told Saudi Gazette: “Most young couples meet through the Internet. They come to know each other through Facebook, exchange numbers and meet without their parents knowing. It's a dangerous facet of the Internet because you are trusting a stranger who could be a criminal for all you know.” Manal Shahid, a 12-year-old student, was asked about parental control and what she thinks about it. “I am old enough to know what to do but when I was six years old, my friends showed me some videos on YouTube that were X-rated. Now I feel like I can watch anything. I know more than my parents. I use the iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy tab and my laptop.” Shahid's 26-year-old brother, Ali Ahmed, said, “Manal's friends stripped off her innocence. They watched adult content at a very young age and she was exposed to matters beyond her age. Parents are responsible but there's only so much you can do.” Sarah Ahmad, a 34-year-old Qatari mother of two, said, “It is important you establish trust with children. I was at my friend's house last week and I saw her 10-year-old daughter come in to the room, dress up and switch on her webcam. I was shocked to see such a young girl on a videoconference with her friends. It could have been a stranger or a guy she met online.” Ahmad said she alerted her friend to her daughter's behavior when she discovered the young girl was speaking to a teenage boy. “He offered to meet her if she could come alone. I was appalled and I am worried about our children. They sure grow up fast and now have access to all means of evil that creep slowly into society through the uncensored online community.” Rubina Hakeem, a 42-year-old Saudi mother of six, said stricter parental control will make a difference and have a myriad of outcomes, such as improved behavior, academic performance, self-confidence, autonomy, emotional maturity, stronger friendships and leadership ability. Moving firms accused of stealing goods “YouTube is dangerous on its own. Children usually click on links that are trending and most of them are not for their age. They are exposed to matters beyond their age and are easily influenced by the language, habits and lifestyle choices. I think it is important for parents to know who their children are talking to and what they're watching online.”
