Doha, October 15 (QNA) - Qatar University has underscored the importance of strengthening digital awareness among families and young people as rapid advances in technology, digital platforms and generative artificial intelligence expose children to increasingly complex online risks.

The focus comes amid national efforts to promote safe and responsible technology use through the "Digitally Aware Family" campaign, launched by the Ministry of Social Development and Family under the slogan "Their Protection, Your Responsibility." The initiative supports the ministry's 2025-2030 strategy, "From Care to Empowerment," and aligns with the human and social development goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Academics at Qatar University stressed that protecting children online requires coordinated efforts by families, educational institutions and national bodies. They said digital safety extends beyond technical safeguards and parental controls to encompass awareness, guidance, critical thinking and consideration of the psychological, health and cultural effects of technology use.

In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), they highlighted the family's central role in fostering safe digital habits through open dialogue, parental role-modelling and helping children develop the critical-thinking skills needed to navigate the digital world responsibly.

Dr. Wadha Khalid Lebda, Director of the KINDI Computing Research Center at Qatar University’s College of Engineering, said the campaign comes at a critical time, as digital technology increasingly shapes how children and young people learn, communicate and interact with the world around them.

She noted that advances in generative artificial intelligence have broadened the concept of digital safety beyond conventional cybersecurity to include responsible online decision-making, protection of personal data and digital identities, and awareness of the risks posed by misleading content, deepfakes and cloned voices and images.

Lebda stressed that families must be at the heart of digital safety efforts, noting that technological safeguards and restrictions alone are insufficient to build lasting awareness. Effective protection requires cooperation among families, schools, universities, national institutions and the technology sector, supported by sustained awareness initiatives and guidance tailored to different age groups.

She also advocated teaching children a simple four-step approach -- "Stop, Ask, Verify, Then Decide" -- before responding to urgent messages or engaging with suspicious content, helping them develop safer digital habits as online risks evolve.

On the university's contribution to the campaign, Lebda said the KINDI Computing Research Center seeks to translate research in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence into practical guidance for families and young people. Its activities include short videos, podcasts and interactive workshops designed to make digital safety concepts more accessible.

She added that the university's role extends beyond raising awareness to evaluating the effectiveness of its initiatives by tracking changes in knowledge and behavior before and after campaigns. Such assessments, she said, can help build a lasting digital culture grounded in evidence and safe practices rather than fear.

Dr. Aisha Al Ahmadi, Assistant Professor in Qatar University's Department of Psychological Sciences, emphasized the need to account for educational, psychological and cultural factors when addressing digital behavior. She cautioned against directly generalizing findings from Western psychological and behavioral studies to Arab and Muslim societies, given differences in their cultural, social and religious contexts.

Al Ahmadi called for greater reliance on local research to inform educational and therapeutic approaches tailored to the needs of families and children in Qatar. Such studies, she said, can help clarify how digital advances affect local culture and society and guide the development of appropriate interventions.

She also stressed the importance of scientifically evaluating digital awareness campaigns by assessing changes in the behavior of families and children before and after their implementation. The findings should inform improvements to awareness programs and help determine whether they lead to lasting changes in everyday digital practices.

Dr. Ghadir Fakhri Al Saleem, Assistant Professor in Qatar University's Department of Public Health, said the campaign highlights the family’s role as the first environment in which children develop their habits and behaviors. She stressed that parents should help children establish a healthy, balanced relationship with technology and develop digital health literacy, enabling them to understand and critically assess health information available online.

She emphasized the importance of establishing healthy habits from an early age, including getting adequate sleep, engaging in regular physical activity and setting aside screen-free time for family interaction. These practices, she said, help balance the benefits of technology with the need to protect children’s physical and psychological well-being.

Citing UNICEF reports, Al Saleem highlighted key digital risks facing children and adolescents, including cyberbullying, online harassment, excessive screen time, privacy breaches and fraud.

She noted that sudden changes in a child's behavior or mood, increased secrecy about device use and using screens late into the night may indicate problematic digital habits. Parents should address such signs through open, trust-based communication rather than blame or punishment, she said, while also making appropriate use of parental-control tools.

Al Saleem said Qatar University contributes to national efforts by linking scientific research with community practice and evidence-based policymaking. Academic research, she added, highlights the importance of open communication and clear family rules in promoting safer digital habits.

She stressed that evaluating awareness campaigns should go beyond counting participants and measuring the reach of awareness messages to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes and family practices before and after implementation. Evaluations should also determine whether these changes are sustained over time.

The academics' remarks highlight the importance of sustained cooperation among families, academic institutions and national bodies in fostering a culture of digital responsibility, helping children and young people navigate an evolving digital landscape safely and make informed use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. (QNA)