Connectivity buzzword for young Emiratis

The UAE's future will be shaped by young adults who grew up during the age of the internet and who are conversant with the latest technology

Blueii went missing!!! How could she get lost? Conspiracy theories started to take root among those who loved her. After all, she was a beauty. Perhaps she was snatched. Perhaps she took off on her own for a stroll and lost her way back home. The most popular theory is that she was being closely watched for some time and that her kidnappers took the first opportunity when no one was looking.

Blueii's owners went distraught by the bitter reality. Fatma and her sister Alya were struck with disappointment - as if a family member had gone missing. It was, after all, dear Blueii - the cat that both sisters grew up having around.

And it did not take long for the two to put together a search-and-rescue operation. First, Blueii's latest photograph was searched for by Alya, a Grade 7 student, from among the tons of photos stored on numerous memory sticks. She then carefully identified the most recent and best one in which Blueii's pose revealed a good part of her face, while her sister Fatma exercised her grey cells to the maximum to come up with an action plan. The third year university student utilised all her knowledge and resources in the pursuit of tracking down beloved Blueii.

The sisters thought it was best to send out a short message about their furry friend. Every technology that was available at Fatma's fingerprints was used. She even approached the local civic body to trace down Blueii's chip number. All this while, the two sisters could not stop talking about Blueii's innocent eyes and the softness of her furry body.

Here, when I got to hear about the chip aspect in the eventual search operation, I was a bit surprised at the fact that even cats carry a chip on them! I thought these small electronic things were usually implanted in cars, mobile phones, satellites and falcons - but definitely not on a feline roaming a neighbourhood in Dubai. How ignorant of me, I thought!

But Fatma was adamant at locating the whereabouts of her furry companion and hence had taken her campaign steps forward. Yes she can, she thought. And what better tool that is available in this day and age except for a far reaching network such as the Internet. All veterinarian clinics and a large number of vet shops received a pleading email to be on the watchout.

Next, tens of leaflets were printed and posted in numerous supermarkets and groceries. The surrounding neighbourhood of the crime scene was not spared as all the houses in the area received a copy. All had to be on the look out for dear Blueii.

Perhaps there is nothing unusual about what Alya and Fatma had done when compared to others in their age and state of distress over the loss of a cat - that is only if they had not been Emiratis. Their actions exemplify the attitudes and outlook of the upcoming young Emirati generation, one that is accustomed to updating itself on the latest technological advancements in their daily living. This generation has also turned into experts in using the available channels of communications that would enable them to reach the widest number of people with a specific message.

Young Fatma, for instance, like many of her Emirati peers is conversant in the latest technological changes, innovative and practical in tackling a problem. This very generation is also outspoken and has no qualms whatsoever in taking the initiative. This is a generation that has grown up in the internet age. They have never known what the day would seem like without it.

If Fatma's case tells us anything, it is that the UAE's future would be influenced to a great extent by a group of Emiratis who share many of her characteristics. This not only offers us a glimpse into how this generation would differentiate itself from previous ones, but also how it would shape the future when they come to age.

Across the UAE today, there are around 290,000 Emirati students enrolled in schools, while almost 52,000 are attending universities and colleges. These numbers are significant when placed in perspective, as they represent a new generation of Emiratis who would soon turn into young adults and take on various positions and responsibilities.

For the generation that has grown alongside a revolutionary cyberspace, demands and needs will be sought innovatively, perhaps persistently as much as practically. And aspirations would almost certainly be pursued in a completely different manner in comparison to previous generations. A great number of this upcoming generation is self-confident, vocal, independent and energetic, and adopt a mode of thinking different to any previous generation.

As for now, perhaps with all these emails and photographs, Blueii may well find her way back home one day. After all, she is technology savvy as she carries a chip on her shoulder. I sure will not be surprised if felines are implanted with GPRS that helps them find their way back home. Come to think of it, I think I will need an implant as well as I do lose my way every so often on the city's ever changing roads.