Scheduled for 11:00am, the seminar is part of the association’s programmes to enhance community awareness and promote a culture of prevention and shared responsibility.

The seminar will be presented by Lieutenant Colonel Salem Khamis Al Mazrouei and moderated by Aisha Al Badwawi. It will bring together a distinguished group of specialists and others interested in family, educational and social affairs, as well as parents, young people, university students, social workers and educational counsellors.

The event comes amid rapid digital developments and the widespread use of social media platforms and instant messaging applications, which have given rise to new methods of targeting young people and adolescents in the digital space. This has increased the responsibility of families, educational institutions and community organisations to strengthen awareness, prevention and child protection.

Raising awareness of digital threats

Dr Mohammed Hamdan Bin Jarash, Director of the Sociological Association, said the association is committed to addressing emerging social issues, particularly those linked to the digital world and their impact on young people. He noted that some drug dealers have begun exploiting modern technologies and digital platforms to reach target groups through increasingly sophisticated and concealed methods.

He added that the seminar aims to raise public awareness of the dangers of drugs and of modern online promotion methods, while educating families about digital grooming techniques used to target young people and adolescents. It will also focus on strengthening prevention skills, encouraging family dialogue, and helping young people engage critically with suspicious digital content.

Bin Jarash stressed that protecting children is a shared societal responsibility that requires coordinated efforts among families, schools, universities, and community and media institutions. He emphasised that awareness and knowledge are the first line of defence against behavioural and intellectual risks that young people may encounter in the digital environment.

The seminar will address four main themes. The first will examine the reality of drug use in the digital age, the evolution of promotional and targeting methods in recent years, the role of digital platforms and social media applications, and the reasons why young people are particularly vulnerable to digital risks.

The second theme will focus on the methods of online grooming and psychological manipulation used by drug promoters, the role of curiosity and experimentation in increasing vulnerability, and the warning signs and messages that warrant caution.

The third theme will explore the family's role as the first line of defence against drugs by strengthening dialogue, building trust, maintaining positive communication with children, balancing supervision and privacy in the digital world, and recognising behavioural signs that warrant attention.

The fourth theme will discuss the role of educational, social and media institutions in promoting a culture of prevention, the importance of partnerships between families and institutions to protect young people, and the reinforcement of the concept of shared social responsibility.

Concluding his remarks, Dr Bin Jarash emphasised that building a well-informed, culturally resilient society requires sustained investment in awareness-raising and education. He encouraged parents, young people and those interested in social and educational issues to attend the seminar and benefit from its scientific and awareness-focused discussions, which contribute to prevention, child protection and the preservation of community security and stability.