Families and New Technologies: Insights from International Day of Families
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The Office of Human Resources (HR), in collaboration with Daycare, organised an interactive awareness session to celebrate International Day of Families on Friday May 19, 2023. The session, led by Ms. Iram Qazi, an experienced education professional, aimed to highlight the significant impact of technology on families under the theme ‘Family and New Technologies’ for 2023. The audience included LUMS employees, their spouses, children, as well as daycare parents and children.
The session commenced with an in-depth discussion on the definition of family, emphasising the importance of individuals living together and sharing their entire lives. Mrs. Qazi warmly reminisced about the past, emphasising the vital role various activities played in quality family time. She actively engaged the children, encouraging them to share their diverse knowledge of games from earlier times.
The session also explored the acceleration of technology and the rapid transition from older technologies to advanced new ones. The speaker discussed how entertainment has evolved drastically over time, highlighting the widespread accessibility of everything through smartphones.
Furthermore, Mrs. Qazi addressed the negative effects of technology on children (including infants) and parents, resulting from excessive cellphone usage. To tackle these concerns, she emphasised the importance of establishing boundaries such as limiting screen time, implementing parental controls, and encouraging alternative physical activities for children.
Following the informative session, the audience was divided into five groups for an interactive activity. This activity aimed to engage participants and foster discussions on the immense impact of technology on human lives. Each group was given different stances to prepare and present their charts, engage in debates, and have dialogues, ensuring the equal participation of parents and children to pique their interest.
As a closing remark, the speaker shared a real-life case study, providing concrete examples of the effects of technology on individuals and families. Mr. Faisal Kheiri, Director, HR, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Mrs. Qazi for her valuable insights in raising awareness about the tremendous impact of technology on families.
