As the mother of a 5 and 1-year-old, the subject of screen time and online safety seemed like a far-off problem for Dubai-based British expat, Mary Samways. Her children spent the majority of their time playing with their “Dubai family” – a diverse mix of 7 sets of parents and children aged 0-10 years, who met because of a joint interest in nature-based childhood activities. From exploring the natural world, to arts, crafts and gardening, the children enjoyed a blissfully screen-free existence. None of the kids had their own electronic device, apart from one 9-year-old girl, who knew to use her phone for calling her parents and nothing else.