Digital wellbeing should be a public health priority for the Arab region

Arab youth are among the most digitally engaged in the world. In Saudi Arabia, adolescents spend between six and ten hours daily online. From gaming and social media to streaming and online learning, digital life has become the culture of youth.

While technology provides opportunities for connection, education, and creativity, it also carries growing risks: disrupted sleep, sedentary behaviour, poor concentration, and rising rates of anxiety and loneliness.

These risks are surfacing as urgent issues across families, schools, and clinics. Therefore, digital wellbeing is no longer a family issue negotiated at home; it is a public health priority for the Arab region as a whole.

With limited knowledge and solutions available for digital wellbeing in the Arab world, we conducted the first survey in Saudi Arabia on digital wellbeing.

We surveyed 92 participants, including youths, parents, teachers, policymakers, clinicians, and information technology professionals, to understand their perspectives on how digital media reshapes daily life.

Nearly half of the participants reported that youth spend at least four hours per day on recreational screen use. Sleep disruption, lack of physical activity, and loss of concentration were the most common concerns.

Crucially, people do not want blanket restrictions or imported solutions. Instead, more than 75% of respondents favoured education-based interventions in schools, guidance for parents, and resources that help young people manage their digital lives.

While studies show that the prevalence of social media addiction is higher for adolescents in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, most digital wellbeing interventions are developed mainly in North America, Europe, and Asia, with limited adaptation for use in other parts of the world.

Building on our engagement, we have published a paper on the cultural adaptation of digital wellbeing interventions, demonstrating why and how evidence-based interventions should be tailored to Arab cultures.

Instead of focusing solely on the individuals, interventions should be designed in alignment with family and community support. Our findings showed that in a collectivist, family-centered context, parents and teachers expect to play an active role in shaping youth digital habits, and religiosity is often seen as a protective factor that reinforces self-control and balance.

Furthermore, the recently published Gen Alpha Report, shows that 91% of Saudi children access a smart device before age 12, while parents voice concerns oversleep, physical activity, and social values and traditions.

In addition to the studies mentioned, we conducted a nationwide school survey of 3,000 students and held focus group discussions with parents and teachers. The preliminary outcomes showed that educators need accessible classroom materials, parents prefer simple guidance through digital channels, and adolescents look for interactive content that reflects their daily lives. These findings help develop interventions tailored to the cultural context and shaped by the voices of those most affected.

Aligning interventions with national policies is crucial to achieving the best outcomes. For example, the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia has incorporated topics such as digital addiction and wellbeing into its Digital Citizenship curriculum.

Although our project is anchored in Saudi Arabia, the issues extend across the Arab region. While further in-depth studies are still needed for many countries in the region, families report the same concerns.

Since Arab countries collaborate on infectious disease control and nutrition, they should collaborate on digital wellbeing. Shared evidence, shared resources, and regionally adapted guidelines could help shape healthier futures for millions of young people.

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