Category: Cyber Safety

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The Addiction of Seeking Validation on Social Media

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Social Media Is Fun and Exciting as It Connects Us with Our Families and Friends Especially in Pandemic. But It Becomes Stressful When We Start Craving for more Likes and Shares.

Last week I was reading an article on ‘selfie syndrome’. It discusses why adolescents engage in behaviour where they seek validation on social media. This article reminds me of a recent talk I had with a parent where she worryingly shares about her kid’s routine and his ‘over-involvement with Instagram and Facebook. She revealed that her kid is so ‘addicted’ to these social media platforms that he shared his whole routine via posts and selfies. The parent was frustrated and wanted a working solution to this problem. But I was wondering what makes that teenager to engaged that intensely with social media platforms? Continue reading “The Addiction of Seeking Validation on Social Media” →

Violent Video Games and the Teen’s Mental Health

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Recent Research Findings Indicate That Video Games Are Not as Bad as We Once Feared

When it comes to video games, there is a common belief that ‘kids playing violent video games can lead to aggressive behaviours.’ Similar expressions were shared by one of the parents complaining that her kid spent most of his free time on a ‘violent video game’ CS-GO (Counter Strike – Global Offensive: a multiplayer first-person, objective-based shooter game). She believes that her son might have developed aggressive behaviour, which can also deteriorate his physical health. Interestingly, the concerns are valid. As I mentioned in my previous articles, too much screen time can impair the teen’s brain function. However, there are two different concerns which parents and educators sometimes consider as one. First, spending excessive hours playing video games and Second, playing violent video games in leisure time. In this article, I will briefly discuss both concerns separately to understand whether playing violent video games really related to teens’ mental health? Continue reading “Violent Video Games and the Teen’s Mental Health” →

Why Parents Need to Aware of What Content Their Child Is Browsing?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

What Role Parents Should Play in Keeping Their Child Digitally Safe and Secure

Yesterday, one of my student’s parent calls me and ask me whether she let her 15-year-old kid to have a cell phone or not because what she believes that kids usually invest all of their spare time on a cell phone. Similarly, she also fears that what if her kid got access to some inappropriate content like pornography or start participating in hateful content or messages. What that parent shared is a fear of every parent, especially in today’s virtual era where kids have easy access to thousands of internet websites. Kids are now using tablets, and smart gadgets more commonly as schools are going virtual due to pandemic. However, what parents should do to keep their kids safe and secure? Do they start surveilling every website they visit and breach their sense of privacy and trust? Continue reading “Why Parents Need to Aware of What Content Their Child Is Browsing?” →