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I’ve actually been on this journey since 2017! Technology has played such a huge part in our lives — for the good and the bad. Even back then, we could see the effects it was having, not just on us, but on the students we taught.

I remember writing about it at the time, actually. One morning, I’d spent so much time on my phone, some of it useful, most of it just scrolling, and looked up to find the battery nearly flat and it wasn’t even lunchtime. I hadn’t seen my Dad in months. I worked out I’d spent more time on my phone that morning than I had speaking to him in weeks. It struck me as a bit sad even then, in that easy-to-shrug-off way. I had no idea he’d be gone within a few years. Knowing what I know now, I’d have done things differently.

I now understand the attention technology demands, and I’m determined to help our children and families become measured, conscious users of it. Used well, technology is brilliant and it genuinely enhances our lives. Used carelessly, it’s time a lot of us come to regret.

I believe in educating people about this, not policing them. Screen time limits, parental controls, firewalls etc, they all have their place. But policing a problem doesn’t solve it. Sooner or later, we slip back to where we started. The good news is, it’s not your fault. These technologies are designed to hook you in. It’s your attention that’s being stolen.

I don’t know it all but I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants, and I’m trying to do my bit to help families do better. The harsh reality for parents, often, is that it starts with us. The one thing my studies keep teaching me is that we sometimes hold double standards around technology. The rules we set for ourselves are rarely the ones we set for our kids. They don’t need to be identical, but they do need to be aligned.

That’s where Reconnected.ae comes in. Your personal coach for your whole family’s online journey.

Why?

Because no one cares about your health and wellbeing as much as you do.