As digital devices become an increasingly familiar part of children’s lives, UAE parents are being urged to pay closer attention to how much time young children spend in front of screens, even when the content is educational.
Children under five who spend an hour or more a day watching screens may be exposed to excessive screen use, potentially affecting language development, cognitive abilities and social-emotional growth, according to Dr Saliha Afridi, founder and chairwoman of The LightHouse Arabia.
While technology can offer valuable learning opportunities, she stressed that the type of content, the child’s age and the amount of time spent watching it all matter.
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“The research is quite conclusive,” Afridi said, distinguishing between entertainment technology, short-form social media and longer educational content such as YouTube.
She cautioned that educational content should not automatically be considered harmless simply because it is designed to teach.
“For children under five, it has been shown that up to an hour or anything beyond that can be seen as excessive use,” she said.
Afridi emphasised that the early years are a critical period for brain development, when children need opportunities to explore their surroundings, interact with others and learn through direct experience.
“They need to look into their mothers and fathers' eyes…they need to play with their friends. They need to touch dirt. They need to interact with the world because it is good for their brain development,” she said.
Why real-world interaction matters
Afridi warned that passive screen viewing, even when the material is educational, can come at the expense of experiences that help children develop communication, thinking and social skills.
“When you have a flat screen and very passive viewing, even if it's the best of content… an hour or more of daily screen time (for a child) can affect cognitive development and delay language skills.”
The concern, she explained, extends beyond academic performance to a child’s ability to navigate relationships and understand emotions.
“So academically, they're not going to be as strong, and their social and emotional development may be compromised,” Afridi said, adding that parents must consider both the child’s age and the amount of time spent watching.
Her comments highlight the challenge facing families as technology becomes embedded in education, entertainment and everyday life. Rather than treating all screen use alike, parents need to make informed decisions about what their children watch and when they are developmentally ready to engage with digital platforms.
Afridi also acknowledged that keeping children entirely offline is no longer a realistic option. The priority, she said, should be helping them develop the psychological skills and technical understanding needed to navigate the online world safely.
“Not having them online is not an option. But how do we psychologically and technically teach them? Because it's not just about technical skills; it's also about psychological skills,” she added.
From online protection to digital empowerment
Razan Bashiti, chief executive officer of INJAZ UAE, said the conversation around children’s online safety must move beyond restricting access to equipping young people with the confidence and skills to make responsible decisions.
“We need to move away from only focusing on protecting the children online and more to focusing on empowering them with the right skill set and confidence to manoeuvre the internet safely and wisely,” Bashiti said.
She noted that technology is becoming an integral part of education, supporting teachers in classrooms and helping parents reinforce learning at home.
“I feel it's a beautiful tool, especially with the wealth of information that's available on YouTube. But we as parents have a responsibility to model the behaviour and to pick on the positives,” she added.
For parents, that means setting boundaries while also demonstrating healthy digital habits, discussing online experiences openly and helping children distinguish between useful information and potentially harmful content.
Google and YouTube have introduced several tools aimed at giving families greater control over children’s digital experiences. These include private uploads, autoplay switched off and personalised ads disabled by default for accounts belonging to users under 18, alongside parental controls through Google Family Link and YouTube Family Center.
Earlier this year, YouTube introduced Kid and Teen Accounts across the Middle East and North Africa, offering parents additional content controls tailored to a child’s stage of development. The features include a Shorts feed timer that can be set to zero minutes a day. YouTube Kids, a standalone app with parental controls, was launched in 2021.
Research by Kantar organisation found that 95 per cent of viewers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia believe YouTube offers leading educational content, while 92 per cent of Gen Z respondents said the platform had helped them develop new skills.
However, access to educational resources does not remove the need for age-appropriate limits and parental guidance.
Eng Saeed Belhoul, acting director-general of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), said the UAE’s child digital safety strategy combines prevention, awareness and empowerment, with responsibility shared by families, relevant entities and digital platforms.
“Protecting children does not necessarily mean avoiding their engagement with the digital world but rather empowering them to explore it and benefit from its opportunities with awareness, confidence, and responsibility,” he said.