Doha International Family Institute (Difi) has commemorated this year’s International Day of Families by organising a virtual discussion to better understand how new technologies have impacted relationships – both in person and within the digital sphere – following the onset of Covid-19.
The event, titled ‘Technology and Familial Relationships amid Covid-19’ was opened by Dr Sharifa Noman al-Emadi, Difi executive director.
“Technology has reshaped our relationships with our extended families, paving the way for us to connect with loved ones we cannot see,” she said. “It has also allowed us to spend more time with our children and adolescents, especially as organisations around the world have introduced flexible working arrangements and steps to working from home.”
The panelists included, Dr Deisi Kusztra, president, World Family Organisation; Prof Raian Ali, professor, Information & Computing Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa University ( HBKU); Dr Dena al Thani, assistant professor and the director of interdisciplinary programmes, College of Science and Engineering, HBKU; Francesca Gottschalk, analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills; and Ana Nieto, Early Childhood Development Specialist, UNICEF. The session was moderated by Ahmed Aref, planning and content manager, Difi.
Discussions ranged from the challenges families are facing to advocating for necessary policy changes to the effects of digital inequalities.
Dr al-Thani said, “The development of technology has always had great potential in supporting family dynamics. And today – with the challenges the entire world is facing in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent isolation family members are experiencing, especially older generations – we have no choice but to support the use of technology in all facets of life.
“Digital inequality is now a major factor in the vulnerability of family members, both in terms of accessing important health information and maintaining daily activities online. Digital inclusion has become a necessity rather than a luxury option that we all need to work towards.”
As part of its commemoration of the International Day of Families, Difi also participated in an event organised by the Group of the Friends of the Family – a coalition of United Nation Member States – titled Protection of the Family and Family-Oriented Policies in the Time of Covid-19.
The event provided a platform for the exchange of views from civil society and academia on the importance of the protection of the family and ways of strengthening policies.
Dr al-Emadi’s presentation, titled the Impact of Covid-19 on Adolescent Wellbeing: Exploring Family Factors, compared familial relationships and adolescent wellbeing pre- and during Covid-19, focusing on family factors. It also explored the protective and risk factors of behavioral deviations among adolescents in Qatar, based on a local pilot study conducted by Difi.
“Technology has reshaped our relationships with our extended families, paving the way for us to connect with loved ones we cannot see,” she said. “It has also allowed us to spend more time with our children and adolescents, especially as organisations around the world have introduced flexible working arrangements and steps to working from home.”
The panelists included, Dr Deisi Kusztra, president, World Family Organisation; Prof Raian Ali, professor, Information & Computing Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa University ( HBKU); Dr Dena al Thani, assistant professor and the director of interdisciplinary programmes, College of Science and Engineering, HBKU; Francesca Gottschalk, analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills; and Ana Nieto, Early Childhood Development Specialist, UNICEF. The session was moderated by Ahmed Aref, planning and content manager, Difi.
Discussions ranged from the challenges families are facing to advocating for necessary policy changes to the effects of digital inequalities.
Dr al-Thani said, “The development of technology has always had great potential in supporting family dynamics. And today – with the challenges the entire world is facing in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent isolation family members are experiencing, especially older generations – we have no choice but to support the use of technology in all facets of life.
“Digital inequality is now a major factor in the vulnerability of family members, both in terms of accessing important health information and maintaining daily activities online. Digital inclusion has become a necessity rather than a luxury option that we all need to work towards.”
As part of its commemoration of the International Day of Families, Difi also participated in an event organised by the Group of the Friends of the Family – a coalition of United Nation Member States – titled Protection of the Family and Family-Oriented Policies in the Time of Covid-19.
The event provided a platform for the exchange of views from civil society and academia on the importance of the protection of the family and ways of strengthening policies.
Dr al-Emadi’s presentation, titled the Impact of Covid-19 on Adolescent Wellbeing: Exploring Family Factors, compared familial relationships and adolescent wellbeing pre- and during Covid-19, focusing on family factors. It also explored the protective and risk factors of behavioral deviations among adolescents in Qatar, based on a local pilot study conducted by Difi.