Abu Dhabi calls on content creators and media organisations to protect children’s well-being

Thamer Al Qassimi, executive director of ECA’s Special Projects and Partnerships, warned that with children also receiving more screen time than recommended on average, this exposes young people to multiple risks, including psychological, behavioural and developmental hazards.

To curb the danger, authorities have launched Guidelines for Reporting Children in Media Channels, calling on content creators and mass media to adopt practices aimed at protecting the well-being of children. Officials also stressed that parents and guardians work hard to protect children from exposure to inappropriate content.

“This is a shared responsibility and we call on media producers to be ethical when reporting on children and developing content for them. At the same time, more and more parents are now also content creators, and we urge them to be aware of and understand when developing content. Protect the rights of children at the time, especially since certain forms of information may negatively affect the long-term welfare of children – tenure,” Al Qassimi told Gulf News.

Children make up 21% of the total population of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and ECA has been working to promote their protection and development since its inception. Its latest guidelines aim to encourage principled reporting on children and encourage careful exposure to digital content for the youngest members of society (those under the age of nine).

“Children at this age are heavily influenced by media and news coverage due to their limited ability to understand the nature of things around them. This is also a time when children’s key personality traits and their mental abilities and basic skills are formed,” says Al Qassimi.

Unsafe content can hinder children’s sense of security and erode their self-esteem. It can promote depression and isolation, while hindering children’s concentration and academic performance. Experts warn that some content may also encourage violent behavior or may lead parents to be overprotective, limiting children’s natural curiosity.In addition, children may develop various diseases from inappropriate exposure, including eating disorders, poor

While the UAE regulates the well-being of children under the Wadeema Act (Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on the Rights of the Child), the ECA has noted worrying trends reported during the pandemic, including the release of material that lacks details. As such, it went on to publish guidelines for child online protection earlier this year and is now “closing the gap” by attracting media producers and content creators.

“Through these initiatives, we hope that parents and guardians will work harder to protect children, and media organisations will use child behaviour experts to ensure content is safe for target audiences including young children,” Al Qassimi said.

He also said that content published should also be relevant to Emirati society and respect cultural and social values.

– Avoid insulting children in any way.

– Provide accurate context for the subject.

– Change the names and visuals of children in sensitive stories, such as those involving abuse.

– If children are identified in the content in their best interests, still ensure they are safe from harm.

– Obtain permission from parents or guardians before interviewing children and confirm information obtained from children with other children or adults.

– Make sure a guardian is present when talking to children for content creation or reporting.

– Avoid staging material when using children for content creation or reporting.

– When developing content for children, ensure that information is not unfairly biased or incomplete. If you discuss a challenge, propose a solution to it.