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UAE: Would you allow your teenage child to 'date an AI'?

New survey shows half of global public 'would rather live without a close friend than without their cellphone'

Parents may contemplate a future scenario in which their teenager could potentially enter into romantic relationships with artificial intelligence.

While the notion may initially seem lighthearted, experts emphasised that it has some alarming aspects.

The penetration of AI, overuse of social media, and the overall spike in digital addiction, especially among young people, contribute to growing concerns about mental health.

This is according to the findings of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture’s (Ithra) second Digital Wellbeing Global Report, as well as the inaugural launch of its Global Digital Wellbeing Index that took place in Dubai on Thursday.

The basis of the new Digital Wellbeing Global Report is a survey of 35,000 members of the public, all over 18 years of age, in 35 nations across five continents.

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Tech babysitters

The finding reveals that globally “a third of parents use technology to occupy their children on a daily basis.” More than half of parents aim to limit screen time to “less than two hours a day”.

As per the revelations, a substantial 78 per cent of the UAE public views AI as a positive force. But the index also highlights common challenges for parents across different countries which require focus, like the ability to disconnect.

Dr Justin Thomas, Senior Research Specialist, Sync, said, “If your 14-year-old son wants to date an AI are you okay with that? The more time parents spend on devices, essentially not paying attention to children, the more detrimental it is on the child’s wellbeing. Parents are role models. We have to start with our own personal habits and behaviours. The real challenge is there are no rules when it comes to doing these things. Also, technology witnesses a rapid rate of change. It doesn’t allow us to develop social norms.”

The 12 pillars assessed in the finding include -- Social cohesion; Mental health; Physical health; Ability to disconnect; Information quality; Cybersafety; Connectivity; Social connectedness; Education and skills; Work, productivity, and income; Entertainment and culture; and Access to services and goods.

Researchers pointed out the establishment of norms in this area are largely unclear, and the conventions are still evolving.

Citing a hypothetical scenario, he added, “If you come to my house for dinner, is it okay for you to put your feet on the table? That’s not right. But if you come to my house for dinner is it okay to whip your phone out and start sending a couple of messages. It’s acceptable…I guess. So, norms are not established. It’s like how old should a child be before they are given their first phone? The rules are emerging.”

Defeat digital addiction

Experts stressed that parents who effectively handle their children's digital addiction are those actively engaged in their digital activities.

“Parents who seem to manage this well are people who participate in the digital world of their children. They game with them, get involved and know the games that their children play because they are playing together. So, that’s a healthy way of dealing with this problem. The idea of banning or banishing the device makes it more attractive to the child,” added Thomas.

Meanwhile, the survey states around 55 per cent of Gen Z feel that smartphones might have a negative impact. This level of concern gradually decreases with age. 50 per cent of millennials are concerned by the health impact of smartphones, 41 per cent of Gen X, and only a quarter of boomers.

Sixty per cent of the global public agree that smartphones are designed to be addictive. Even among boomers, who are less likely to see smartphones as impacting their health, 53 per cent believe smartphones are addictive.

Dr Enrico Nano, Head of Research at Horizon Group, said, “Only eight countries out of 35 have a comprehensive framework for digital mental health. One of these is China. But more needs to be done. There are patterns. Some nations like Sweden and the UK have lower rates of addictive behaviours. But many countries show very high rates of addiction where people tend to skip meals or sleep because of technology.”

“The survey has shown an unexpected result where half of the public (adults included) would rather live without a close friend than their cellphone.”

“The response should be to implement policies that address these issues. Also, related to mental health is cyberbullying. This is also another worrying phenomenon,” added Nano.

Digital Wellbeing Programme

On the positive side, the UAE scores a 100 per cent score in connectivity, leading in social connectedness, reflecting advanced digital infrastructure and remarkable social engagement.​

Its 'Digital Wellbeing Programme' and the Council for Digital Wellbeing promote digital literacy, safe online behaviour, and quality content exposure.

Residents in the UAE express confidence in their government's capacity to regulate internet content.

Globally, respondents of all ages are increasingly adopting conscious digital consumption habits, with a majority now choosing to spend their online time intentionally rather than engaging in purposeless scrolling.

Wadha Alnafjan, Head of Digital Wellbeing (Sync) at Ithra, said, “The UAE and Saudi governments are putting in a lot of effort to build that technology infrastructure. Around 20-23 per cent are bullied online and 50 per cent of those have high anxiety. This is an area that we need to look at and invest into creating preventative policies to help avoid these in the future. We hope that this research will enable actors to drive ambitious measures to protect the most vulnerable from negative side effects of technology.”

Fahad AlBeyahi, Lead of Sync’s Research Workstream at Ithra, highlighted the importance of continual improvements.

He said, “The survey also highlighted how harmful experiences still prevalent across social media, calls for more regulation around AI and for people to have greater transparency over data collection. We need digital social movements and increase awareness among users.”

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