The word addiction inevitably draws correlations with drugs and alcohol. But according to Dr Abdulqader Al Khayyat, chairman of the Erada rehabilitation centre in Dubai, there is an equally disturbing poison eating away at society that urgently needs to be tackled. In an interview with The National, Dr Al Khayyat explained that children who have been over-exposed from a young age to games, social media and other cyber paraphernalia and are now displaying signs of digital dependency that are on the same plane as drug addiction.
The onset of a behavioural disorder at such a young age can stunt emotional growth. And when they grow up, these children might not have access to the psychological tools others can call upon to navigate relationships or the complexities of life. But it's not only children who are at risk. Adults are not immune to the scourge from social media either. A government survey has found an alarming rise in marital problems as a result of spousal neglect born of excessive social media use. No demographic is spared the effects of digital addiction, which rather than relieve, actually intensifies depression and takes its toll on finances, marriages, work and school performance.
Half a century ago, the late Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan issued a warning about the consumption of media through rapidly evolving technology. Their lure will grow “so pervasive”, he wrote, “that they will leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, unaltered”. The age of social media is vindicating McLuhan. The very positive benefits brought about the rise of social networking – from reform movements to social awareness campaigns and the simple pleasures of connecting with friends and loved ones – have been accompanied, as we are witnessing, by something altogether destructive.
Dr Al Khayyat has established a centre which treats social media addicts. But as he says, what is required to stop this from blowing into a crisis is early education, both in schools and at home. Weak familial relations also breed the conditions in which children, and parents, turn to the web for solace. Adults can create a healthy atmosphere by discarding phones and other gadgets to communicate with children. We can all afford to learn a different way of engaging – and that might mean putting the gadgets away to engage in conversation in real time.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Dengue fever symptoms
- High fever
- Intense pain behind your eyes
- Severe headache
- Muscle and joint pains
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Swollen glands
- Rash
If symptoms occur, they usually last for two-seven days
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Dresos
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vladimir Radojevic and Aleksandar Jankovic
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Fashion
Funding: $285,000; $500,000 currently being raised
Investors: Crowdfunding, family, friends and self-funding
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Switch Foods
Started: 2022
Founder: Edward Hamod
Based: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Industry: Plant-based meat production
Number of employees: 34
Funding: $6.5 million
Funding round: Seed
Investors: Based in US and across Middle East