The Ministry of Social Development and Family has launched the national “Digitally Aware Family” campaign under the slogan “Their Protection, Your Responsibility,” bringing together 20 national entities to promote digital safety and help families guide children toward safer, more balanced and responsible technology use. Running for 14 weeks from September to December 2026, the campaign addresses the growing use of smartphones, social media platforms, electronic games and digital services among children and young people. It encourages families to combine open communication and guidance with appropriate monitoring of children’s technology use.
According to Fatima Al Nuaimi, Director of the Family Development Department at the Ministry, the campaign aims to raise awareness among children and parents about digital risks and prevention methods while encouraging positive digital behaviour across online platforms and games. The campaign highlights several everyday digital risks, including excessive screen time, digital addiction, exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, online extortion, in-game purchases, privacy risks, communication with strangers and online misinformation. More than 120 educational materials and activities will be provided during the campaign. These include videos, guides, media content, workshops, lectures, school visits and direct meetings with parents. As part of the initiative, the Ministry has also launched eSafety.qa as a central platform for reliable information and support related to digital safety.
The campaign follows a three-stage awareness journey. It begins by helping families recognise digital risks and unsafe content, followed by practical protection measures such as securing accounts and personal data, protecting privacy and using parental controls. The final stage focuses on digital responsibility, including children’s rights and duties as well as available support and reporting mechanisms. The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s 2025-2030 strategy, “From Care to Empowerment,” and supports Qatar National Vision 2030 in the areas of human and social development. The participation of 20 national entities from the education, health, cybersecurity and family welfare sectors is intended to provide unified messaging and expand the campaign’s reach. The initiative also forms part of wider work by the Ministry’s Digital Safety Committee for Children and Adolescents to study digital safety and recommend policies, legislative measures and technical solutions.
Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), highlighted the importance of creating a healthy balance between technology and other aspects of children’s lives. She said technology should support education and entertainment without replacing sleep, physical activity or family time. Dr. Al Emadi referred to the “Tanshea” programme, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, where the proportion of students spending more than 10 hours a week with their families increased from 49.5% to 55.3%. She also emphasised that effective family communication begins with listening rather than punishment. Citing DIFI’s 2024 study, State of Qatari Families: Strengths and Challenges, conducted with Qatar University’s SESRI, she noted that 70.97% of participants identified effective communication as a key family strength.
Dr. Al Emadi said children may be less likely to report disturbing online experiences if they fear immediate restrictions. She encouraged parents to maintain open and continuous conversations so children feel comfortable discussing online problems. Practical recommendations include setting clear technology-use schedules, creating device-free areas such as dining tables and bedrooms, reviewing applications and accounts, choosing age-appropriate content and explaining the reasons behind household digital rules. She also highlighted the importance of parents serving as positive digital role models. Referring to DIFI’s Adolescent Well-being in Qatar study, she said more than 78% of adolescents reported that their parents “always” or “often” use social media at home.
Research conducted with Hamad Bin Khalifa University, WISE and WISH has also examined the relationship between problematic internet use among parents and similar behaviour among children, highlighting parental digital habits, privacy awareness and self-reflection as important factors in protecting young people online.
AI and cybersecurity expert Dr. Mohammed Al Saqatri highlighted additional risks facing children and young people, including cyberbullying, online extortion through multiplayer games, account theft, malicious links and exposure to inappropriate content. He encouraged parents to combine appropriate monitoring with open communication and to pay attention to behavioural changes such as increased isolation. He also recommended using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication and teaching children how to protect their personal information, privacy settings and photos.
The campaign also addresses emerging risks associated with AI-generated deceptive content and secretive online requests. While parental control tools can provide an additional layer of protection, experts emphasised that long-term digital safety also depends on helping children develop digital awareness, confidence and responsible online habits. The “Digitally Aware Family” campaign highlights digital safety as an important part of modern parenting, combining practical online protection with communication, trust, family time and responsible technology use.
