Most smartphone users in the UAE spend five hours per day on
social media apps like Facebook and Whats app, a new study has said.
The Connected Life report, carried out by the global market
research firm TNS, found 86 per cent of users in the UAE spend that time
browsing.
“Facebook and YouTube are the top contenders, but it is the
new kid on the block – What Sapp – that is emerging as the most favored
communication platform of the moment,” said Stephen Hillebrand, CEO of the Middle
East division of TNS.
The study tracked 55,000 internet users across 50 countries.
TNS said such trends offer opportunities for advertisers, but one psychologist
warned spending hours online could be unhealthy.
Carey Kirk, programmer manager at Lighthouse Arabia, said:
“While it is called social media, it’s not incredibly social. We are excluding
things that give us a greater sense of connection in our lives – like actually
meeting friends for dinner or a cup of coffee.”
She said prolonged use could lead to “feelings of depression
and can create feelings of anxiety and loneliness”.
Some UAE residents said social media is part of their life.
“I personally use Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snap chat,
and I am constantly checking them throughout the day,” says Aya Attia, a
26-year-old student from Sharjah.
But American expat Teresa Thayer, 32, said: “I deleted my
Facebook a few months and I have never felt better.
“The obsession with social media is very unhealthy – people
use it in place of real human interactions because its gives them a feeling
they are spending time with people. It’s really sad when you think about it.”
