The Role of Saudi Families in Protecting Their Children from Digital Addiction and Ways to Strengthen It in Light of Islamic Education Sources

Abstract

The study aimed to reveal the role of Saudi families in protecting their children from digital addiction from the perspective of one of the parents, to identify the difficulties they face, and then to suggest ways to strengthen their role in light of Islamic education sources. The study used a descriptive and inductive approach and concluded that: Families play a significant role in protecting their children from digital addiction, reflecting family awareness of the importance of guidance and monitoring. The results also showed that the highest arithmetic means were for statements related to direct family monitoring and support. In contrast, the lowest arithmetic means were for statements related to restricting the use of devices, indicating that some families are reluctant to apply strict control methods compared to educational and supportive practices. The results also indicate that families face moderate difficulties in exercising their preventive role, which requires dealing with them using balanced educational methods. The results also showed that the highest arithmetic means were for the statements: “influence of peers and friends” and “open internet access at home,” which reflects the impact of uncontrolled access to the internet on increasing children's use of digital devices. Ways to strengthen the protective role of the family in light of Islamic education sources included focusing on faith-based education, enabling self-discipline, and conscious investment of time, with the need for the family to adopt the etiquette of dialogue as an essential means of building bridges of understanding among its members.