Latest news with #UAEChildren'sDigitalWellbeingPact
Al Etihad
16-04-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
ECA highlights children's responsible technology use during Digital Wellbeing Symposium
16 Apr 2025 17:25 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Organised by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and hosted by New York University Abu Dhabi (NYU Abu Dhabi), leading experts from the technology sector, including representatives from the organisations that are members of the UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact, gathered in Abu Dhabi to highlight the importance of responsible technology use in early childhood – as part of the Digital Wellbeing Symposium. The event took place as a satellite event of the Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, organised by the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DoH).The Digital Wellbeing Symposium highlighted the needs and experiences of young children from ages zero to eight in conversations about how digital technologies affect the health, development, and everyday life of young children. Experts furhter discussed key issues around young children's digital Wellbeing and provided insights for the development of guidelines and frameworks around digital media, AI and technology, and the creation of high-quality digital content that prioritises young children's learning and Symposium featured sessions from prominent voices in digital Wellbeing, including Dr. Yousef Al Hammadi, Executive Director of Knowledge and Impact at the ECA, Jawaher Abdelhamid, Head of Public Policy, MEA at SNAP, leading member of the UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact; Professor Susan Danby, Distinguished Professor at Queensland University of Technology; Dr Michael Preston, Senior Vice President at the Sesame Workshop and Professor Jan Plass, Paulette Goddard Chair in Digital Media and Learning Sciences at New York UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact was signed earlier this year at the World Government Summit. It is the first of its kind in the region and brings together different governmental and private sector entities, including the ECA, in support of protecting children online by promoting a safe and appropriate online environment, minimising exposure of children to harmful content and protecting children from on the importance of responsible use of technology in early childhood, Dr. Yousef Al Hammadi said: "At the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, we want to help parents feel more comfortable with their children engaging with digital media. We know that technology plays a big role in young children's lives and in their development. As such, we are proud to see parents in Abu Dhabi embracing technology as a valuable tool to support their child's growth and their efforts to create healthy boundaries around technology use at homes." He addedm "As technology keeps evolving, we hope to keep working with parents to put children's digital wellbeing first, ensuring their everyday life continues to have a well-balanced approach between digital activities and traditional ones."Jawaher Abdelhamid, Head of Public Policy, MEA at SNAP, a leading member of the Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact, said: "Our goal is to ensure that digital media serves as a positive force in children's lives, supporting their learning and development while safeguarding their Wellbeing."The Symposium unveiled the findings of the Digital Use Survey, a first-of-its-kind survey of 10,000 parents in Abu Dhabi emirate, conducted by NYU Abu Dhabi and funded by the ECA, exploring digital media use among Emirati and Expat children up to eight years old, with key findings including; parents are intentional about digital content choices, and that parents generally see digital media as a positive part of modern childhood, with 70 per cent satisfied with the amount of time their young child spends on digital media, parents were found to spend twice as much time engaging with their child in traditional (non-digital) activities as they did in digital ones, parents emphasised the role of digital media in supporting their child's learning, social development, and exploration, with half of the parents (55 per cent) viewing digital media as a valuable tool for supporting their child's learning, and early learning activities and Arabic language videos ranking the highest by parents in their digital content survey represents the first comprehensive analysis of digital media use among children aged 0 to 8. It focuses specifically on the often-overlooked needs of children aged 0 to 8 in digital wellbeing discussions, ensuring their experiences help shape research and on the survey, Antje von Suchodeltz, Associate Professor of Psychology and Global Network Associate Professor of Psychology at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, NYU Abu Dhabi said: "This survey provides valuable insights into how parents are navigating their young children's digital media experiences. Research shows that when parents actively co-engage with their children during digital media use, through co-watching, co-playing, or other interactive experiences, these shared moments strengthen the parent-child relationship and contribute to the child's development across multiple domains. These findings provide a strong foundation for evidence-based policies that promote digital Wellbeing in early childhood.'The Digital Wellbeing Symposium further enhanced the work done by the ECA and its partners, which led to the signing of the recent Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact. Additionally, the symposium highlights the importance of investing in research ecosystems to improve children's Wellbeing. The Digital Wellbeing Symposium is also part of the ECA's World Early Childhood Development (WED) Movement, an initiative which brings together global experts, partners, and disruptors for innovation to advance Early Childhood Development in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
TECHx
13-02-2025
- Health
- TECHx
UAE Strengthens Child Online Protection with New Digital Wellbeing Pact News Desk - 13/02/2025 ShareIn a significant move aligned with the Year of Community, His Highness Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, alongside H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and H.E. Sana bint Mohamed Suhail, Minister of Family Affairs, witnessed the signing of the UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact at the World Government Summit in Dubai.With growing concerns over children's online safety, the new Pact aims to protect young users from cyberbullying, harmful content, and overexposure to screen time. Studies show that more than two hours of screen time per day can increase risks like high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes in children. Additionally, nearly 33% of children in the UAE reported being bullied online in 2019.His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasized the shared responsibility of various sectors in protecting children in the digital world. He stated, 'As technology becomes integral to daily life, it is essential to establish clear frameworks to protect children from online risks while allowing them freedom to access information.'The UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact is the first of its kind in the region, developed by the Digital Wellbeing Council and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, with key strategic partners including the Ministry of Interior, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and the AI, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications office. Major tech and social media platforms, such as Snapchat, Meta, Google, TikTok, and others, have also joined the Pact as members, committing to enhancing digital safety for children.H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, highlighted the importance of safeguarding children's online experiences. He stated, 'By providing a secure digital environment, we empower children to learn and innovate, free from the risks of misuse.'The Pact outlines mechanisms to protect children from both physical and psychological harm online, focusing on safe digital content and robust privacy protection. It aims to increase collaboration among partners to ensure the highest standards of child safety, promoting transparency through continuous reporting and global best practices.The initiative also includes supporting digital literacy programs to equip both children and their parents with safe browsing skills, enhancing research on emerging technological risks, and implementing tools to verify user age and strengthen privacy measures. With this groundbreaking Pact, the UAE is setting a global standard for protecting children's digital wellbeing.By advancing these goals, the UAE is not only safeguarding its future generations but also ensuring that technology contributes positively to society's overall development.
UAE Strengthens Child Online Protection with New Digital Wellbeing Pact In a significant move aligned with the Year of Community, His Highness Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, alongside H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and H.E. Sana bint Mohamed Suhail, Minister of Family Affairs, witnessed the signing of the UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact at the World Government Summit in Dubai. With growing concerns over children's online safety, the new Pact aims to protect young users from cyberbullying, harmful content, and overexposure to screen time. Studies show that more than two hours of screen time per day can increase risks like high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes in children. Additionally, nearly 33% of children in the UAE reported being bullied online in 2019. His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasized the shared responsibility of various sectors in protecting children in the digital world. He stated, 'As technology becomes integral to daily life, it is essential to establish clear frameworks to protect children from online risks while allowing them freedom to access information.' The UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact is the first of its kind in the region, developed by the Digital Wellbeing Council and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, with key strategic partners including the Ministry of Interior, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and the AI, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications office. Major tech and social media platforms, such as Snapchat, Meta, Google, TikTok, and others, have also joined the Pact as members, committing to enhancing digital safety for children. H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, highlighted the importance of safeguarding children's online experiences. He stated, 'By providing a secure digital environment, we empower children to learn and innovate, free from the risks of misuse.' The Pact outlines mechanisms to protect children from both physical and psychological harm online, focusing on safe digital content and robust privacy protection. It aims to increase collaboration among partners to ensure the highest standards of child safety, promoting transparency through continuous reporting and global best practices. The initiative also includes supporting digital literacy programs to equip both children and their parents with safe browsing skills, enhancing research on emerging technological risks, and implementing tools to verify user age and strengthen privacy measures. With this groundbreaking Pact, the UAE is setting a global standard for protecting children's digital wellbeing. By advancing these goals, the UAE is not only safeguarding its future generations but also ensuring that technology contributes positively to society's overall development.
Khaleej Times
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UAE: First-of-its-kind digital pact to protect children online
A first-of-its-kind children's digital wellbeing pact was signed by various authorities, companies and social media platforms in a bid to keep youngsters in the UAE safe online. From ensuring they know how to browse safely to protecting them from harmful content, the pact is designed to ensure children are protected. 'Digital literacy initiatives will be detailed with the pact members and could range between community-wide to school-based initiatives,' said Fatima Al Melhi, Director of Special Projects at Early Childhood Authority. 'We will be focusing on long-term collaboration to drive research and development initiatives, fostering innovation and continuous improvement in digital wellbeing strategies.' The UAE Children's Digital Wellbeing Pact, which was signed during the World Government Summit (WGS) 2025 in Dubai, is designed to promote a safe and appropriate online environment, minimising exposure of children to harmful content and protecting them from cyberbullying. A 2019 research showed that approximately 33 percent of children in the UAE have reported being bullied online. In line with the Year of Community, Lt-Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and Chairman of the Digital Wellbeing Council, stressed the importance of the pact. 'Protecting children in the digital world is a shared responsibility that requires efforts between various sectors,' he said. 'More and more people are relying on technology in daily life so it has become necessary to establish clear frameworks and effective implementation mechanisms to protect children from harmful content and increasing digital challenges.' Clear mechanisms The pact will develop clear mechanisms to protect children from physical and psychological harm, and enhance supervision of digital content targeting them. It will also protects children's data and ensure their privacy and safety within the digital ecosystem. This includes promoting transparency through continuous reporting and evaluation mechanisms and focuses on developing effective strategies to reduce the promotion of harmful content. The pact will also support digital literacy programmes and educational initiatives that help children and their parents with the needed skills to browse safely. It will also help the exchange of expertise and investment in research, to address the emerging risks posed by technological advancements. The pact will support exchanging information on advanced technological methods that contribute to providing a safer online environment for children, like developing and using effective tools to verify the user's age before displaying content. It also includes identifying incident response mechanisms and reporting protocols to address emerging cyber threats and immediately manage incidents affecting children. The aim of the pact is to develop policies that enhance children's digital quality of life. It was facilitated by the Digital Wellbeing Council and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority. Strategic partners of the pact were the Office of International Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, the Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. Social media platform Snapchat is the leading member of the pact for the first year while others like Meta, Google, TikTok, X, Yango, Samsung, e& and du also partnered for the pact.
