الملخص الإنجليزي
Mobile devices have become ubiquitous and a necessity for people of all ages. Children are increasingly interested in owning mobile devices. The vast possibilities of what children can do with mobile devices and their great exposure to them in this interconnected world are expected to give rise to many risks which could affect their lives and health. Indeed, the risks could be quite serious because parents with different backgrounds might have limited knowledge and awareness of the expected risks of mobile devices for children. Scholars have attempted to investigate these issues, but few have focused on children of younger ages (6–12 years old), especially in the Middle East. The main aim of this study was to identify the factors impacting parents' happiness and awareness of children's usage of mobile devices. In addition, this research was aimed at assessing the effects of mobile device usage on Omani children's social communication behaviors from parents' perspective, highlighting mobile device usage patterns among children in Oman, identifying the influences on children's usage of mobile devices and comparing parents' and children's usage of mobile devices. To achieve these main objectives, an exploratory study was carried out to identify the factors impacting parent's happiness and awareness of children's usage of mobile devices. An online questionnaire was disseminated through social media platforms, whilo a paper-based survey was distributed through personal visits to public and private organizations. The sample of this study consisted of 261 participants (Omani Parents). Various data-analysis methods were applied, ranging from simple frequency distributions to more advanced neural-networks analysis. In this thesis, several outcomes and conclusions are explained. One of the major outcomes was to identify awareness factors of mobile usage and parents happiness of their children's devices. Other key findings showed that mobile device usage has positive effects on children's social communication skills, although this should be treated with caution due to probable bias by parents. Recommendations for government and parents are given.
