Are smartphones making us dumb?

That would be a gross oversimplification, but it's safe to say many are feeling growing fatigue with the incredible devices in billions of hands and pockets.

Commodore, a previously defunct technology company is betting on that fatigue to promote what some have called a dumbphone.

It's a throwback to simpler times, when our eyes weren't glued to smartphone screens.

Don't get me wrong: the smartphone will continue to dominate, but all this nostalgia for older technology speaks volumes about how people are feeling about their devices at the moment.

It's worth reflecting upon.

The big story

UAE draws line in the digital sand

In brief | The UAE became the first Arab nation to enact rules designed to limit children's access to social media platforms.

A resolution issued on Thursday by the UAE Cabinet will prohibit anyone under the age of 15 from using social media.

Technology companies with social media offerings will have 12 months to “bring their operations into line with the new rules.”

A UAE government representative said that the measures will apply to tourists as well as citizens and residents.

Why it matters | As The National's David Tusing points out, the UAE is by no means alone in doing this.

Australia kicked off the movement to ban minors from social media platforms in 2025, and most recently the UK introduced a similar measure.

Broadly speaking, social media companies like Meta have opposed such measures, but in the court of public opinion, the push to keep children off social media apps is one of the few areas where there seems to be consensus.

I wouldn't necessarily call it a reckoning, but the era of no accountability for Big Tech is definitely waning.

Quoted | “Platforms must ensure that the mechanisms used achieve a high level of accuracy in determining user age, while adhering to the highest standards of child privacy and personal data protection”

– UAE news agency Wam

Future in focus

• Fear factor | Is Trump using national security as an excuse to punish Anthropic?

• AI-driven demand | Apple to raise prices to offset memory chip shortage, Cook says

• Regional first | Northslope opens permanent office in UAE, highlighting country's AI ambitions

• Major purchase | Cursor chief executive 'excited to join forces' with SpaceX after acquisition by Elon Musk's company

Predicting the future: Signal or noise?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably well aware of the excitement about Toy Story 5.

The plot of the latest instalment of the popular movie franchise might surprise you.

Woody, Buzz and all the other toys find themselves having to compete with a new toy: a smart tablet.

This is a signal: By now you're probably noticing a pattern in this edition of Future Beat – the growing concern about the effects that devices such as smartphones and tablets might be having on children.

There's no sign of that collective concern slowing down. The plot of Toy Story 5 will hit close to home for parents and children, and while there will surely be laughs in the movie, the big-picture worries will also fuel the movie's popularity.

In case you missed it

• Iran fans to use tech to tackle Fifa's ban on pre-revolution flag at World Cup

• UK solar panel sales surge boosted by plug-in rule change

• How AI is identifying millions of plant species in "biodiversity revolution" to boost conservation

• Opinion: Children on social media are not users to be monetised

• Abu Dhabi administers pioneering breast cancer drug to patient in world first

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