Smart devices are preventing children from being active

With smart balance wheels being banned in Dubai malls, Gulf News readers took to various platforms to express their appreciation for this decision.

Siddharth Arora, a Dubai resident, said: “Anything that becomes a fad ends up just being a ridiculous device. If people use it because they really need it and have trouble walking, that is fine, otherwise it’s just unnecessary.”

He also added that since the trend of the smart balance wheels started, he noticed people who would usually gear up for a run, were now still in their jogging suit, but rather than jogging were just roaming around with their balance wheels.

The lack of exercise was one of the main concerns that was raised by readers as the news of the ban came on Monday, October 19 and the fact that it had completely replaced traditional play such as football, cricket or any other sport involving any sort of exercise.

Nasser Zubairi, another Dubai resident and a father of three, said that while his children have been insisting on getting smart balance wheels, seeing the children in his neighbourhood who have now stopped playing football, he firmly refuses to buy it.

He explained: “It is alarming, and especially with the high rate of obesity and diabetes in the UAE, we should promote activity rather than promote devices that kill it.”

Not only do the devices pose danger to the public, but to the person riding it as well. Zubairi’s colleague lost balance while trying it for the first time, fell off and got a stress fracture on his knee, which only added to Zubairi’s discouragement of attaining one.

Another reader who had a bad experience using the smart balance wheel was Eisa Al Bannai’s younger brother Ali, 13.

Al Bannai explained: “My brother and I usually ride around our neighbourhood with our smart wheels, but it takes practice to know how to control it. My younger brother fell off it once and scratched his knee badly.”

While Al Bannai agrees that the device is not suitable for public places with big crowds, he does not see an issue with it being used elsewhere. In fact, Al Bannai said he would consider buying one for his younger daughter if she wanted one, however, he would only let her use it under his supervision.

Similarly, Corne Jooste, an Abu Dhabi-based mother of two, says that the balance wheels are next on her children’s list, and that it is not something that she rejects as long as it is used wearing proper safety gear and with strict discipline.

She said: “I would never let my children use smart devices, skateboards or roller shoes in public as not only does it pose danger to them but also to the people around them. You can’t just let your children run around in a mall posing danger to everyone around them.”

Fact Box:

As of Monday, October 19, the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) asked all Dubai malls to prohibit the use of smart balance wheels.

The balance wheels can only be used in designated areas in parks.

Roads, side roads, pavements, footpaths, jogging tracks and sports areas are off limits to balance wheels users for safety purposes