At what age is it appropriate for a child to have a Facebook or Twitter account? It’s a dilemma all parents will confront: should you refuse permission until your child reaches a certain age, or allow them to sign up – if they haven’t already done so – and then closely monitor their online activities? Whatever the decision, it should be made with the understanding that children, even older teenagers, have impulse-control issues. In other words, they often act before they think.
Surveys suggest that a shocking number of teenagers unleash vitriol over social media against their teachers and peers. To tackle this problem, parents need the support of schools and the broader community. That’s what Dubai’s Knowledge and Development Authority (KHDA) seeks to do through a policy requiring all parties – parents, students above 15 and teachers – to sign legally binding contracts prohibiting them from slandering or causing harm to others on social media.
The KHDA's Amal Belhasa told The National that the initiative will focus on schools with a large number of Emirati pupils, but it is worth extending this policy across the UAE. It is never too early for children to realise that their poor social media choices can have unintended consequences.