KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI)
A new report by the Early Childhood Authority outlines fresh guidelines aimed at parents and institutions working on developing the next generation of youth in the UAE.
Dr. Maddalena Campioni, Foresight and Strategy Expert at ECA cautioned that the once-stable foundations of childhood are being rapidly disrupted by technological advancements, societal shifts, and global megatrends, reshaping the very fabric of daily life. She said that the ECA is hoping to pioneer a more proactive approach to ensure children experience the kind of childhoods that prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
"We're going through a time, with AI and all this technology, where even if children are born with imagination, we tend to with schooling and with institutions and with systems to narrow them down and break down this imagination," she told Aletihad.
Dr. Campioni, a trained neuroscientist, explained that during early childhood, the brain operates at wavelengths comparable to those observed in the REM sleep cycle - when imagination reaches its peak in adults.
For Dr. Campioni, her work with the ECA centres on safeguarding children's creativity and physiological wellbeing in an era where sweeping changes are being made to our lives.
The ECA's report identified seven key changes as particularly disruptive to childhood. Among these was the rapid transformation of education through technology, which, while enabling personalised learning, also raised concerns about excessive screen time, cognitive development, and the digital divide, with approximately 87% of 3- to 4-year-olds globally being online and 23% using social media.
Meanwhile, modern commitments were also flagged as a factor in reducing parental quality time with children. In Abu Dhabi, parents reportedly spend two to three times less time with their children compared to their counterparts in OECD countries.
Demographic shifts driven by declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy also meant that 28% of the UAE population may be over 65 by 2050. Rapid urbanisation, media and technology and environmental challenges were also found to be straining parent-child relationships, with 21% of UAE residents spending over 21 hours weekly on social media.
"There are many things occurring that are uncomfortable for the nature of humanity, and we try to compensate it with tech. We try to compensate with millions of things, but we really need to uncover and discover and tackle them head on," Dr. Campioni said.
The report recommended addressing megatrends through integrated policy frameworks, scenario planning, and future-proofing education to emphasise critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy. It advocated anticipatory parental support, urban infrastructure tailored to children, and integration of neurodiversity in healthcare and education. It also called for ethical technology use, sustainable resource practices, and community collaboration. Continuous monitoring and adaptation were also urged to ensure responsive strategies for evolving challenges in early childhood development.
Dr. Campioni hopes the report will act as a guiding anchor for those navigating the future of their children. Speaking as a mother, she stressed that the first step is always to empower children and actively listen to what they have to say.
"I would say that empower your children to be what they are, and don't expect anything, that would be my first advice," she said.