Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has launched an awareness campaign on its wa3i.net platform to foster safer and more responsible online behaviour by promoting digital security and privacy.
The campaign, introduced in June, is meant to raise awareness of ways to protect children as they use the Internet and digital applications, especially as children spend more time online during the summer holidays.
The MCIT sends text messages on mobile phones addressing a range of topics, including encouraging dialogue with children about the digital challenges they may encounter, helping parents understand how their children engage with others online, establishing guidelines for safe Internet use, protecting personal data and online privacy, and dealing responsibly with digital threats such as cyberbullying and online extortion.
Moreover, the platform offers educational and interactive content tailored to children, young people, parents, and teachers.
The campaign has been launched as more and more children use smartphones, social-media platforms, and online gaming. It also comes at a time when there are growing digital risks.
Wa3i.net is one of the tools supporting the MCIT’s Digital Citizenship and Online Protection Initiative, which aims to enhance digital literacy and social awareness.
“The campaign is aimed at tackling screen addiction and is both timely and necessary, reflecting a problem that has become evident in almost every household,” Waleed Haggag, an information security expert and consultant to the Supreme Advisory Board for Cybersecurity and Information Technology, told Al-Ahram Weekly.
“Smartphones are no longer merely a means of communication. For many people, particularly children and young people, they have become an integral part of daily life, often leading to excessive use without users even realising it,” he added.
Delivering the campaign through SMS messages was a smart choice, he said, noting that text messages reach people directly regardless of the type of phone they use or whether they have an Internet connection.
“Most people read text messages as soon as they receive them,” he said. “This gives them a greater chance of capturing people’s attention than many other awareness tools, which can easily go unnoticed.”
From a cybersecurity perspective, Haggag noted that technology alone cannot protect users, however. “Even the strongest security systems can be compromised by a poor decision made by an uninformed user. Building informed and digitally aware users is therefore just as important as building secure systems.”
He explained that people need to be aware that they could be the target of cybercriminals, whether through phishing attacks or other forms of online fraud.
Ultimately, Haggag argued, the success of any awareness campaign should not be measured by the number of messages sent, but by the extent to which it succeeds in changing people’s behaviour.
“A single message may succeed in attracting attention, but it is unlikely to change a habit that has developed over many years,” he said. “This campaign therefore needs to be sustained and become part of a broader awareness programme involving social media, schools, universities, and the media, so that the messages evolve into a culture and a daily habit.”
“The initiative should mark the beginning of the wider use of SMS campaigns to promote digital awareness beyond the issue of screen addiction. Such messages could also warn people about phishing attempts, online scams, fraudulent links, and ways to protect personal data.”
“Digital awareness is no longer a luxury,” he added. “It has become a necessity and one of the most important first lines of defence, not only for individuals but also for the country’s digital national security.”
MESSAGING: “While many families focus on reducing children’s screen time or imposing restrictions on their Internet use, the wa3i.net campaign offers a simple yet psychologically and educationally significant message: ‘ask your son or daughter every day what was the best thing you saw online? And what upset you?’” said Nevine Hosny, a digital psychology consultant, vice-president of the Digital Transformation Committee, and member of the Supreme Advisory Board for Information Technology and Cyber Security.
“The message may seem like little more than an invitation to talk. In reality, however, it is grounded in well-established principles showing that digital safety begins with family communication rather than prohibition or punishment,” she said.
“It encourages parents to move away from surveillance and towards dialogue,” Hosny said. “Many parents are accustomed to saying things like, ‘put your phone away,’ or ‘you’re addicted to your phone.’ But such remarks focus on control rather than understanding and are often met with resistance or silence.”
“The campaign’s messaging adopts a very different philosophy. Rather than asking children to put their phones aside, it encourages them to talk about what they have seen online and how it made them feel.”
“This approach is known as preventive communication in psychology,” she said. “It is one of the most effective ways of preventing risks before they occur because it builds trust between children and their parents, making conversation a daily habit rather than something reserved for moments of crisis.”
She added that psychological safety is the key to encouraging children to speak openly. Numerous studies have found that “many children who experience disturbing situations online never tell their parents about them,” she said, “and this is where the value of asking a simple daily question becomes clear.
“It creates ‘psychological safety’ — the sense that children can speak freely without fearing blame or punishment. When talking about online experiences becomes part of a family’s daily routine, the psychological barriers that prevent children from seeking help when they face digital risks are greatly reduced.”
Hosny said that the campaign’s messaging also goes beyond opening the door to wider conversation. It also helps develop children’s psychological skills by providing indirect training in emotional intelligence.
“When children are asked, ‘what was the best thing you saw online today?’ they begin to reflect on their digital experiences and distinguish the content that captures their attention,” she explained. “When they are asked, ‘what upset you?’ they learn to identify and express their emotions, which is a fundamental skill in developing emotional intelligence and is closely linked to children’s ability to cope with pressure and make more informed decisions.”
Hosny believes that although the campaign’s messaging does not explicitly call for reducing children’s screen time, it can indirectly help curb excessive use of digital devices.
“A child who reflects each day on what they have seen online, why they watched it, and how it made them feel becomes more aware of their relationship with technology,” she said. “This is what psychologists describe as mindful technology use.”
She added that, despite its simplicity, the daily question could become an effective way of identifying problems at an early stage.
“Children who become accustomed to talking about their online experiences every day are more likely to speak up if they encounter cyberbullying, online blackmail, grooming attempts, violent or age-inappropriate content, or misleading information. In this way, the family becomes the first line of defence before problems escalate.”
Hosny described the campaign as a practical model for applying the principles of digital psychology within the family. “It serves four main purposes: building trust, reducing digital secrecy, strengthening children’s psychological resilience in the digital environment, and enhancing their overall emotional resilience.”
“While awareness messages are an important tool for promoting digital literacy, they cannot bring about lasting behavioural change on their own,” she said. Their impact is greatest when they are accompanied by ongoing family dialogue, positive role modelling, and practical application at home, she added.
Hosny suggested that the campaign could be made even more effective through a broader awareness strategy, including age-specific messages, weekly family challenges, interactive questions for children, short videos lasting no more than one minute, real-life stories based on actual experiences, tools to help families assess their digital habits, and a practical guide for parents explaining how to respond if a child reveals that they have experienced an online problem.
“The real value of this seemingly simple messaging lies in its long-term impact,” she said. “Its focus is not on technology itself, but on strengthening the relationship between children and their families. In many cases, that simple daily conversation can become the first line of defence in protecting children in the digital world.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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