Ignorant Hoteliers Place Tablets in Kids Clubs

“EMF/RFR from Wi-Fi and cell towers can exert a disorganizing effect on the ability to learn and remember and can also be destabilising to immune and metabolic function. This makes it harder for some children to learn especially those who are having difficulty in the first place” (Martha Herbert, Paediatric Neurology, Harvard Medical School).

The harsh title of this article is simply a reflection of the general outrage parents demonstrated in our latest survey at the notion of having tablets in hotels’ kids’ clubs which is becoming a norm among big chains in the Middle East.

A recent survey conducted by Velvet Marketing of 113 parents, 87% of whom are degree educated or higher, 40% male and 60% female indicated that a whopping 93% are less likely to put their children in kids’ clubs if they knew that there are tablets there, 6% were indifferent and only 1% indicated that they are more likely to allow their kids in kids’ clubs where tablets are present.

The more interesting finding of this survey is that people were motivated to leave comments at the end of the survey, mostly indicating irritation, anger and general disbelieve that hotels are now deflecting their responsibility of entertaining their kids by “IPad-ing” the kids club!

Psychologist Sue Palmer and author of toxic childhood says that some parents are beginning to realize that negative impact screen time has on their children. Her research found that high tablet use is associated with sleeping disorders, diminished academic performance and poor social skills.

The WHO advises of a maximum 2-hour screen time for children a day (that includes TV) whilst tablets including the iPad, have very clear instructions about the “proper” use of the tablet and how it should be held a certain distance from the body in order to mitigate the impact of radiation.

Putting the health implications a side, some hotels especially in the Middle East have kept the Wi-Fi function on, which is a huge problem and could pose legal liability. Even if parental controls are at their highest, unsavory videos disguised as children cartoons can still be accessed accidently by a child looking for cartoons. Furthermore, social media sites with a location access function can place a child at risk and more likely to be picked up by a stranger around the hotel.

In conclusion, hotels who choose to place tablets in their kids’ clubs are doing so against the desire of their educated clientele and without a proper policy to protect children when using the tablets in the kids’ clubs, no matter how many disclaimers parents sign, legal liability could still be on the table, which amounts to ignorance at best!