Parents must be aware of what apps their children use online

Most parents in the UAE are unaware of their children's online activities, a report by the Ministry of Interior's English-language publication says.

ABU DHABI // Many parents are unaware of their children’s activities online, according to a report published by the Ministry of Interior.

Children spend about two to six hours a day online, increasing their risk of accessing inappropriate content or being contacted by online predators, the report says.

The Ministry of Interior's English-language monthly magazine, 999, said it spoke with parents, media managers and internet giants for the cover story in its issue for October, The Hidden World of Dangerous Apps on Your Child's Phone.

Most children older than 10 have at least one smartphone, the magazine said. That means they may have downloaded applications that could allow them to chat with strangers, or send photographs that could embarrass them or leave them vulnerable to blackmail.

Some apps also can be hidden from the device or encourage anonymity so as to circumvent parental supervision, the magazine said.

“Social media apps enable unmonitored access to content that can be potentially of danger to children,” said Lt Col Awadh Saleh Al Kindi, the magazine’s editor-in-chief.

“Parents must be aware of what their children are doing online and advise them not to engage with strangers, even those who claim to be children themselves.”

Parents should know if their children use apps such as Whisper, Poke, or SnapChat, the article read.

The Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre has encouraged families to use the Hemayati app, which allows parents to communicate with their children and includes a feature that allows kids to send a distress call to their parents if they feel threatened.