JEDDAH: A recent study revealed that among the country’s youth, 56.9 percent browse social media networking sites before bed. The study confirmed that 91.4 percent of that group browse the Internet via their mobiles.
These numbers were from a field study conducted by researcher and media specialist Ahmad bin Ali Al-Amoudi. The researcher submitted the results during the World Youth Forum in Istanbul. He studied the habits of Saudi youth toward the new media and the promotion of awareness initiatives targeting them, according to a report in a local publication.
The study revealed that 26 percent of the respondents used the new media for 2 hours daily; about 24 percent use it for only an hour daily; 12.6 percent use it for 5 hours daily, and 12.6 use it for 3 hours daily. Some 3 percent of the respondents used it for 15 hours daily and about 2 percent use it 24 hours.
On the means of browsing the social media, the study showed that 91.4 percent of the participants do so using their mobile phones.
The study showed that 75.9 said they prefer to do the browsing at home, with 56.9 percent saying they chose the time before bed to browse social media websites. Some 33.6 percent said they browsed while traveling from one place to another. About 31.9 percent of the respondents said they preferred to browse social media during work hours, against 19.8 percent who said they preferred to do so with their friends.
As for their reasons for browsing, the study found that 85.3 percent use social media sites to get information and news.
About 76.7 percent of the participants in the study said the competent authority to launch awareness initiatives for youth via the new media is the Ministry of Culture and Information. The rest thought the General Authority for Sports is the competent authority for this task.
Values and ethics constituted the main topics that should be promoted and explained with 90.5 percent of the participants saying so. Others felt dialogue and an exchange of views should constitute the main topic.
Al-Amoudi, the researcher, said his study came up with a number of recommendations, including the activation of the role of concerned bodies in raising awareness among the youth via the new media, the establishment of partnerships between the public and private sectors and charities to launch initiatives to promote the formation of values and ideas via the new media, as well as the importance of implementing a series of workshops by technology and Internet companies.
The study sample included 59.5 percent males and 40.5 percent females, of which 68.1 percent were married, 21.6 percent single, and 10.3 percent divorced.
These numbers were from a field study conducted by researcher and media specialist Ahmad bin Ali Al-Amoudi. The researcher submitted the results during the World Youth Forum in Istanbul. He studied the habits of Saudi youth toward the new media and the promotion of awareness initiatives targeting them, according to a report in a local publication.
The study revealed that 26 percent of the respondents used the new media for 2 hours daily; about 24 percent use it for only an hour daily; 12.6 percent use it for 5 hours daily, and 12.6 use it for 3 hours daily. Some 3 percent of the respondents used it for 15 hours daily and about 2 percent use it 24 hours.
On the means of browsing the social media, the study showed that 91.4 percent of the participants do so using their mobile phones.
The study showed that 75.9 said they prefer to do the browsing at home, with 56.9 percent saying they chose the time before bed to browse social media websites. Some 33.6 percent said they browsed while traveling from one place to another. About 31.9 percent of the respondents said they preferred to browse social media during work hours, against 19.8 percent who said they preferred to do so with their friends.
As for their reasons for browsing, the study found that 85.3 percent use social media sites to get information and news.
About 76.7 percent of the participants in the study said the competent authority to launch awareness initiatives for youth via the new media is the Ministry of Culture and Information. The rest thought the General Authority for Sports is the competent authority for this task.
Values and ethics constituted the main topics that should be promoted and explained with 90.5 percent of the participants saying so. Others felt dialogue and an exchange of views should constitute the main topic.
Al-Amoudi, the researcher, said his study came up with a number of recommendations, including the activation of the role of concerned bodies in raising awareness among the youth via the new media, the establishment of partnerships between the public and private sectors and charities to launch initiatives to promote the formation of values and ideas via the new media, as well as the importance of implementing a series of workshops by technology and Internet companies.
The study sample included 59.5 percent males and 40.5 percent females, of which 68.1 percent were married, 21.6 percent single, and 10.3 percent divorced.
