Environment & Energy | Friday 23 January, 2015 12:54 am |

Some 90 percent of Saudi college students are suffering from "weather phobia," which has resulted in the absence of considerable number of students from colleges, a local daily said quoting a recently published study undertaken by King Khalid University (KKU).
Ninety-five percent of students who responded to the survey absented from school depending fully on rumors on bad weather conditions, while 80 percent of absenteeism cases were also based on uncertainty of the circulated news on bad weather conditions, the paper said.
Bad weather conditions, notably during the rainy season, pose a headache for motorists in the Saudi streets and highways which have witnessed a considerable number of accidents and traffic bottlenecks. Schools and universities in major cities are sometimes forced to close down for safety reasons, experts said.
On another topic, the survey found the increasing use of smart devices and applications, showing that the use of social media in society has not only grown, but is gravely influencing the life patterns of individuals and communities, the paper said. The survey also showed the negative use of social media in the spread of erroneous news and rumors that have harmed public interest, the paper said.
Selected samples representing more than 900 of KKU students and teaching staff were used for th study. The study combined the historic and descriptive approaches, the paper said.