Numerous recent scientific studies have confirmed that unregulated exposure of children and adolescents to social media content has become one of the most prominent challenges facing international and institutional efforts to support public health and human development, given its direct effects on cognitive, psychological, and social growth. The studies emphasise the importance of effective legislative frameworks to regulate young age groups' access to digital spaces.
Reflecting the Cabinet's decision on regulating children's access to social media platforms, the UAE is working to consolidate an advanced model for child protection in the digital space and to strengthen the digital safety ecosystem in a way that balances enabling the responsible use of modern technology with ensuring the highest levels of protection for children. Recent data indicate that approximately 95% of adolescents use social media daily, with usage rates in a number of studies ranging between 3 and 5 hours per day, while some groups spend more than 7 hours in front of screens — reflecting a shift in the digital environment from an additional means of communication to a daily element that shapes patterns of life, learning, and social interaction.
The findings of a large-scale study conducted by the National Institutes of Health in the United States, encompassing more than 11,000 children, confirmed that children who spend long periods in front of screens show indicators associated with reduced cortical thickness in regions of the brain responsible for language, thinking, and executive functions.
A study published by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore also warned that excessive screen exposure in the early years of life may subsequently be linked to a slowdown in certain cognitive processes and elevated anxiety indicators during adolescence.
At the psychological level, indicators linked to rising rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents are growing in tandem with increases in daily hours of exposure to digital platforms.
Multiple scientific studies report that higher usage time is progressively associated with a greater likelihood of depression and mood disorders, while girls show greater susceptibility to certain content related to body image, social comparisons, and cyberbullying.
The effects do not stop at the cognitive and psychological dimensions; evidence confirms that prolonged screen use is also associated with sleep disorders, reduced physical activity, and a higher likelihood of weight gain.
On the social level, social media has reshaped the daily relationship patterns of children and adolescents, with a large portion of human interaction having moved into the digital space. While this has brought opportunities for communication, it has simultaneously imposed challenges related to weakened face-to-face communication skills. World Health Organization reports indicate that adolescents record high rates of loneliness globally, amid a decline in both in-person and virtual encounters.
A study from Zayed University found that intensive use of Instagram and TikTok is associated with emotional exhaustion, irritability, sleep disorders, and social withdrawal, as a natural result of the fast-paced and sequential nature of the content.