ABU DHABI // The Adec study found almost two in three students had befriended a stranger on social media, and nearly half had added strangers as contacts in group conversations.
More than a third said they had discussed topics on social media that could result in bodily harm, and 42.1 per cent discussed hatred of certain people.
Asked if they used social media to find out where to buy drugs, 21.4 per cent said yes and 25.7 per cent said they used it to obtain alcohol.
Many pupils, 28.5 per cent, said they had shared naked pictures and 27.6 per cent sent sexually explicit videos.
“This is alarming, especially when in relation to drugs and alcohol in the UAE. Is it surprising? No,” said Barry Cummings of Beat the Cyberbully.
“The reality for children today, is they need to be thinking three to five years ahead. The images they post on social channels, or send to each other in what they think are private snaps, all have the potential to become public domain.”
Instagram, the photo-sharing app, was the most-used social media platform for pupils, followed by YouTube, Skype, Snapchat and Facebook. The most popular instant message tool was WhatsApp, used by 86.5 per cent of participants, followed by Kik and Facebook Messenger.
rpennington@thenational.ae
