AL-AHSA: Saudi Arabia is ranked fifth among Arab states in terms of using social networks, recent studies have shown.

However, the misuse of social networking sites increases the percentage of differences among family members due to technology addiction and the loss of family privacy.

Muhammad Al-Amir, a student, said: “Social networking sites are a double-edged sword depending on how they are used by the person. They have a positive effect on the person through getting into new friendships around the world, while their negative impacts arise through invading the individual and family’s privacy as all people know our small day-to-day details.”

Khalid Al-Qahtani, a journalist said: “Although social media has enabled people to communicate with each other, it has great defects and disadvantages if misused by individuals, including addiction, joining deviant groups, lack of privacy, wasting time, isolation from people and mental illnesses.”

Aidah Saleh, another journalist said: “Social media is a product of the technological revolution in the era of globalization, and it has many positive effects in facilitating communication with anyone, anywhere and at any time. However, bad use of this technology relies on the user itself.”

Munirah Al-Jawhar, a social worker, said that social networking sites have become a major concern for all family members. “Despite the importance of these means in facilitating communication among individuals, speedy access to information and various world events, there is a class of society exploiting these means wrongly which deprives many homes of their privacy,” she said.

In addition, Walid Al-Shuwaiheen, director of public relations at the Faculty of Technology in Al-Ahsa, said: “Social networking sites attract all people in the world and acquire a lion’s share of their time, and this is a source of danger to the family and its interdependence,” explaining that a study in Saudi Arabia warned of the potential risks and drawbacks on the Saudi family due to the misuse of different social networks.

Director of Development at King Faisal University Adel Al-Muhaizei said: “The concept of privacy today has witnessed many changes after social media emerged in recent times. In the past, we had reservations about sharing our personal information and details with our colleagues or non-close persons, but today we share a lot of our information on social media, even without a request from others,” confirming that the phenomenon of lack of privacy is not limited to a particular age group or sex.

Muhammad Al-Amir, a doctor said that the physical and psychological effects that social networking users might be exposed to include Internet-addiction, which leads to social isolation, such as being shy and stammering while talking with other conditions resulting in sweating, accelerated heartbeat, weakness, lack of eating or obesity.

Riyadh Al-Saeed, a technology specialist, said: “No one can deny that social networks are an edged weapon, whose risks and benefits are based on their users. All users should practice restraint and utilize these modern means for their own benefit and for the service of their communities in a positive way.”

He said that social media, especially visual ones, make the family lose its privacy, as family details that are not supposed to be known can be learned by others. Therefore, the owner of the account opens the door of his house to strangers to enter and even express their views and suggestions in too-private matters.