TikTok MENAT organized discussions with local safety experts on topics such as youth well-being, media literacy, and critical thinking skills in the digital age. The event was hosted by Omar Buti and took place on February 13th at Al Quds Warehouse 4 in Dubai. This provided valuable insight into how digital communities impact the mental health of young people and how they can engage with social media content in meaningful and important ways.
The first panel, titled “Equipping young digital citizens with media literacy and critical thinking skills,” included Lynn Sutton, Head of Outreach & Partnerships, Trust & Safety EMEA at TikTok; Advisory board members Naira Hamdi and Akin Amber appeared. They discussed the importance of media literacy, especially for young audiences, and emphasized the need to have informed conversations about safety and crisis response.
The second panel, called “Building Digital Communities for Youth Well-Being,” included Lynn Sutton, TikTok Safety Advisory Board member Maysa Mohamed, lecturer in educational psychology, and trainer in leadership and mental health. Ms. Jana Bou Leslan, also a lecturer, participated. They explore how digital communities foster compassion among users and the importance of constructive dialogue around mental health, supported by strong content moderation processes, in creating a nurturing environment for everyone. I emphasized.
Lynn Sutton said: “TikTok is constantly striving to make our platform a safer and more welcoming space for everyone, ensuring all users have the tools and support they need to engage with content safely and responsibly.” Our Community Guidelines are designed to ensure our platform remains a positive and inclusive space for everyone. We are taking action to address potential challenges, and conversations like the one held at TikTok’s MENAT Youth Mental Health Summit are helping to ensure a safe environment for everyone, most importantly for youth. essential for. ”
Naira Hamdi emphasized the importance of media literacy when working with different types of content, especially in an era of rapid information dissemination. She said: “It’s important to critically evaluate content and take appropriate action. We encourage young people to not only create content, but also to become responsible digital citizens. Parents and Education They play a central role in equipping young people with media literacy.”
Jana Bou Reslan also said: “Parental involvement is paramount to building safe digital communities for young people. Parental insight not only creates important safety processes, but also helps young people stay healthy and responsible.” It is also valuable in teaching how to interact with digital platforms.”
TikTok has been at the forefront of introducing features that support the mental health of our community on and off the platform. The platform is actively working to raise mental health awareness and encourages users, especially teens, to take steps to prevent trolling and bullying and set daily screen time limits. I’ve been doing it.
