My virtual friends

The story "My Virtual Friends" is an engaging tale designed to teach children the guidelines for using social media platforms, presented through visually appealing elements and simple storytelling suitable for the targeted age group.

The story addresses the rules of using social media when communicating with others and forming friendships, as well as the dangers of spending long periods of time on these platforms and their negative impacts on social, health, and cognitive levels.

Through the story, the child learns a set of essential rules that must be followed when using social media, including: not accepting friend requests from unknown or unfamiliar individuals in real life; not sharing photos or personal information such as full name, school, or address; not responding to messages that cause concern or request private information; informing parents or a teacher if exposed to any negative situation online; and using privacy settings to protect their account from strangers.

These guidelines are presented in the story through a simple, dialogue-based narrative, supported by illustrative visuals that depict real-life situations a child may encounter. This helps make the risks easier to understand and enables the child to apply the appropriate safe responses. The story also encourages children to build real and safe friendships, and clarifies the difference between digital friendships and real-life friendships.

Through it, the child learns that friendship is not built on the number of likes or followers, but on trust and genuine interaction. The story also highlights the importance of direct, in-person communication with friends at school or in the neighborhood, rather than relying entirely on digital platforms.

The story also explains the harms resulting from excessive use of social media platforms; as it may lead to health problems such as weakened eyesight, sleep disorders, and physical inactivity, as well as negative social effects such as isolation and withdrawal, and cognitive impacts such as attention distraction and reduced academic performance.