Letters

I would like to thank reporter Mai and photographer Honey for all the support and the lovely pictures and article that was written about my bid to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship Bahrain. 

The article was written in a very nice way and I have received lots of positive feedback from people who have told me that it touched their hearts.

I loved the two headlines (Wonder Woman and Nothing’s going to stop our Shaikha) which I have received so many comments about.

Once again I would like to thank the team for their time and support.

Best regards,

Shaikha

IN today’s media-rich world (or media-saturated, depending on your view), one rarely has to look far to find parents concerned about the ways that kids engage with technology.

Recently, managing ‘screen time’ seems to be on everyone’s mind, particularly during these summer months when children find themselves with more time on their hands.

The idea of ‘screen time’ initially gained traction in 1999, when the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested that parents avoid smartphone, tablet, computer and TV use for children under two and limit such use to no more than two hours for children over two, adding hours as they mature.

The world is increasingly saturated with all kinds of positive, interactive media experiences – for children and adults alike. Ideas about limiting screen time assume all screen experiences are equally negative for kids and that they’re replacing positive offline activities.

Yet, we know that kids do all kinds of positive things with digital media, often in ways that support and are supported by ‘real life’ activities – in ways similar to adults. They go online to catch up on events and seek out entertainment and information, just like anyone else.

What looks like a waste of time or an addiction is often just every day hanging out.

How, then, can parents get a handle on their children’s media use? As always, it’s complicated – and no expert advice should trump the real, everyday experiences that parents have with their own children. That said, there are some general guidelines that can help.

First, parents should get away from ideas about time and focus more on the content, context and connections provided by different kinds of engagement with media. There’s a world of difference between spending a few hours playing games with close friends online and spending a few hours interacting with hate groups in an online forum.

Second, parents should ask real questions concerning the well-being of their children, independent of their media use. Are your children healthy, socially engaged, doing well in school and generally happy? If so, there’s probably no need to enforce hard restrictions on technology. If not, it’s best not to rush to conclusions about the inherent evils of technology.

Have a conversation with children about what they’re doing and what they think the rules should be. Unilaterally cutting kids off without understanding their problems can often make things worse.

Finally, parents should remember that there’s no substitute for a meaningful, supportive relationship between parents and children. With a stable, trusting relationship, even negative experiences online can become positive learning experiences. In my many years of working with families, I’ve learned that if you already care enough to be worried about digital media, you’re probably already ‘doing enough’ to protect your kids.

Nathan Fisk.