UAE bans social media accounts for children under 15 — families — effective June 18

As the UAE moves to restrict social media access for children under 15, mental health professionals said that they are seeing young people whose online habits are affecting their sleep, studies, confidence and overall wellbeing. On June 18, a new resolution was issued to ban those under the age of 15 from creating or using personal social media accounts or accessing their full features. The decision was welcomed by UAE doctors who shed light on the dangers of social media addiction, especially among children. From children staying awake until the early morning hours to those spending hours scrolling without eating or taking breaks, doctors and counsellors said that excessive social media use is becoming a growing concern among adolescents. Dr Shahana Kasim, specialist psychiatry at NMC Specialty Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said she has counselled children whose social media use became so excessive that it started interfering with daily life. “In more severe cases, social media begins to interfere with sleep, school performance, family relationships, hobbies and face-to-face friendships,” she said. “I had instances where children became so addicted to social media that they spent five to six hours mindlessly scrolling, neglecting basic needs such as sleeping, eating or even using the washroom.” According to her, some children become irritable, anxious or distressed when access to social media is restricted. When a child stays awake until 2am Doctors said that the impact often extends far beyond screen time. Dr Diya Abdul Rasheed, specialist pediatrician at Medeor Hospital Dubai, recalled the case of a 13-year-old boy who was brought to her clinic after his parents noticed changes in his behaviour and academic performance. The teenager had become anxious, struggled to concentrate and was regularly sleeping in class. His grades, which had previously been good, had started to decline.