Mena and Emirati teens prefer spending their free time with the family, unlike the global norm where free time is mostly spent with friends, according to new research by AMRB.

This is especially true among the females in the region, a statement from the company said. 

Emirati teens also love spending time with their family out of home like going for family dinners or a shopping trip.

Going online is the next preferred activity – both by global (31 per cent) and Emirati teens (57 per cent), the research showed. Emirati teens, especially the higher secondary, are connected to the internet 24*7.

Spending time with friends is a favorable activity especially among Emirati male teens, it showed.

Watching TV/ movies takes the second place in Mena – mostly owing to Egyptian teens who spend about more than three hours a day watching TV as it’s a relatively cheaper entertainment source.

Family focus also encompasses siblings, it revealed.

Comparatively, global teens engage in a lot more extracurricular activities in their free time like listening to music, pursuing a hobby, reading or playing video games.

Gagan Bhalla, CEO, AMRB Dubai, said: “Growing up in a society where traditional bonds of family are still quite strong, Emirati teens have to balance their need for independence with spending time with family and relatives. Further, girls in the region tend to be more homebound than boys, and this is true for Emirati girls as well – even though the restrictions here are not as high as in other countries like Saudi Arabia.”

“This is why spending time online emerges as one of the most favorite free time activities – this allows them to stay in touch with friends whilst keeping up with the notion of spending time at home with family.”

“This need for “balance” strongly defines many facets of the Arab teen’s life and is important for brands to understand and be sensitive to this everyday struggle that teens in the region go through,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service