We are creating some awesome events for you. Kindly bear with us.

Bridging the digital gap with tech-smart Hong Kong teens

A recent report acknowledged that while there is no turning back the clock on how children engage with technology – usually through their smartphones – parents and schools need to work together to promote a better understanding of the benefits and risks that technology tools such as social media can involve.

The head of the Australian International School Hong Kong sad that the use of smartphones and the amount of time spent using social media probably causes more arguments between parents and their children than any other topic. The head was also one of the panellists discussing the topic of “Dealing with digitally savvy teens” at the International Schools Festival, held by in mid-September 2018.

The head stated that one of his prime concerns is the frustration that students feel due to the disconnect of always being connected to the internet outside school but subject to rules preventing them from using their smartphones while in school.

It was suggested that the problem often lies in a lack of guidance over the use of smartphones outside school.

Law-makers, policy drafters, curriculum creators and other parties invested in education need to find ways for parents, schools and students to work together to bring about a better balance.

It was explained that while parents usually view technology as “something extra” to be used to achieve an objective, students see the use of smartphones and technology as their “default” solution.

The experts present at the panel discussion were all in agreement; while technology plays a vital role in education, the positive or negative effects of online activities outside school depend on the type of media, the type of use, the amount and extent of use, and the characteristics of the individual child.

With jobs set to become increasingly dependent on the use of technology, the panellists agreed that schools would be failing in their duty if students were not fully prepared and “tech-savvy” to embrace the opportunities they will encounter.

One expert stated that it is important to note that in a world where children are “growing up digital”, it’s important to help them learn healthy concepts about digital use and citizenship.

In addition, positive outcomes could not be expected from issuing bans on the use of social media and other online activities, whether at school or at home. The expert suggested setting up, as the Canadian International School has done, an “acceptable use” policy, which students themselves help design.

When it comes to preschool and kindergarten children, the panellists were particularly concerned about parents giving their children their smartphones as an emotional pacifier.

They said young children learn best through two-way communication and conversations with their parents and friends. Instead of becoming engaged in arguments over the use of smartphones and social media.

One expert noted put forward the suggestion that parents need to set goals to develop a good relationship with technology in their families.

For instance, parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online, not just the amount of time they spend on it.

To set a good example, they also need to be aware of their own online activities.

According to one expert, parents have an opportunity to teach young children that ‘smartphones are for smart people.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Send this to a friend