ABHA: It is estimated that 66.7 percent of Saudi family shows on “YouTube” focus on something negative. This finding is the result of a study carried out by the Center of Expertise for Social Studies, headed by Tahani Al-Bahussein, a member of the College of Media and Communication at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University.
The study noted an inadequacy in Saudi topics relating to the family on YouTube. Only 26.7 percent of the topics dealt with social issues such as marriage costs, incompatibility in lineage and broken ties of kinship. There are a number of other issues that need to be focused on as well, such as violence against women and the custody of children.
Director Fetais Baknah confirmed that 60 percent of YouTube topics are negative as YouTube has no censorship. Addressing the issue, he said: “This lack of censorship means that such Web platforms need support from cultural bodies and competent authorities to improve and control the online space. YouTube provides an opportunity for those unable to work and gain access to fame in an easy way, yet it does follow up on the suitability of videos.”
Filmmaker Nora Al-Ibrahim pointed out that the negative rhetoric presented by Saudis on YouTube is obvious, despite the presence of many volunteer and community support programs that are advertised on YouTube.
She added that there were many celebrities who have emerged from YouTube, but she said that regulatory steps had become necessary despite the difficulty of its being a global site used by millions of people around the world without regulations and licenses.
Actor Talal Al-Sidr pointed out that 70 percent of the videos posted on YouTube are by teenagers who have no experience and were unable to gain fame in any other way. He said that YouTube was a library in which the wheat could not be separated from the chaff or a place that requires a flashlight due to a lack of credibility and accuracy.
He stressed the need for government intervention to censor YouTube. This could be done as the government is considered the head of the household who must control children by force and order, and who should impose credibility and professionalism on the website.
The study noted an inadequacy in Saudi topics relating to the family on YouTube. Only 26.7 percent of the topics dealt with social issues such as marriage costs, incompatibility in lineage and broken ties of kinship. There are a number of other issues that need to be focused on as well, such as violence against women and the custody of children.
Director Fetais Baknah confirmed that 60 percent of YouTube topics are negative as YouTube has no censorship. Addressing the issue, he said: “This lack of censorship means that such Web platforms need support from cultural bodies and competent authorities to improve and control the online space. YouTube provides an opportunity for those unable to work and gain access to fame in an easy way, yet it does follow up on the suitability of videos.”
Filmmaker Nora Al-Ibrahim pointed out that the negative rhetoric presented by Saudis on YouTube is obvious, despite the presence of many volunteer and community support programs that are advertised on YouTube.
She added that there were many celebrities who have emerged from YouTube, but she said that regulatory steps had become necessary despite the difficulty of its being a global site used by millions of people around the world without regulations and licenses.
Actor Talal Al-Sidr pointed out that 70 percent of the videos posted on YouTube are by teenagers who have no experience and were unable to gain fame in any other way. He said that YouTube was a library in which the wheat could not be separated from the chaff or a place that requires a flashlight due to a lack of credibility and accuracy.
He stressed the need for government intervention to censor YouTube. This could be done as the government is considered the head of the household who must control children by force and order, and who should impose credibility and professionalism on the website.
