Fahad X 2/18/26 Fahad X 2/18/26

Ramadan day 1 - You are not free from responsibility.

Disclaimer: these Ramadan reminders each day are a reminder for myself first and foremost before it applies to anyone else.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. (Sahih Bukhari)

Being a parent requires leadership abilities, and if Allah has give you the blessing of being a parent, then He subhana wata'aalah also knows that you can be a leader. Not just any leader, but a great leader. Use the month of Ramadan to recalibrate yourself, and in sha Allah, your family.

Disclaimer: these Ramadan reminders each day are a reminder for myself first and foremost before it applies to anyone else.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. (Sahih Bukhari)

Fahad X 2/15/26 Fahad X 2/15/26

The Chinese smartwatch that is causing problems for parents.

From Wired (paywalled - News+ link):

At what age should a kid get a smartwatch? In China, parents are buying them for children as young as 5. Adults, of course, want practical features, so they can call their kids or track their location down to a specific building floor. Children have their own reasons to clamor for the gadgets. And they’re specifically after ones made by a company called Xiaotiancai, which translates to Little Genius in English.
The watches, which launched in 2015 and cost up to $330, are a portal into an elaborate world that blends social engagement with relentless competition. Kids can use the watches to buy snacks at local shops, chat and share videos with friends, play games, and, sure, stay in touch with their families. But the main activity is accumulating as many “likes” as possible on their watch’s profile page. On the extreme end, Chinese media outlets have reported on kids who buy bots to juice their numbers, hack the watches to dox their enemies, and sometimes even find romantic partners. According to tech research firm Counterpoint Research, Little Genius accounts for nearly half of global market share for kids’ smartwatches.
Over the past decade, Little Genius has found ways to gamify nearly every measurable activity in the life of a child—playing Ping Pong, posting updates, the list goes on. Earning more experience points boosts kids to a higher level, which increases the number of likes they can send to friends. It’s a game of reciprocity—you send me likes, and I’ll return the favor. One 18-year-old recently told Chinese media that she had struggled to make friends until four years ago when a classmate invited her into a Little Genius social circle. She racked up more than 1 million likes and became a mini celebrity on the platform. She said she met all three of her boyfriends through the watch, two of whom she broke up with because they asked her to send erotic photos.

Kids need to do the things kids need to do: play outside, have unconditional friends, and not gamify every portion of their life. Have fun without having to worry whether other kids will like what you’re doing.

From Wired (paywalled - News+ link):

At what age should a kid get a smartwatch? In China, parents are buying them for children as young as 5. Adults, of course, want practical features, so they can call their kids or track their location down to a specific building floor. Children have their own reasons to clamor for the gadgets. And they’re specifically after ones made by a company called Xiaotiancai, which translates to Little Genius in English.
The watches, which launched in 2015 and cost up to $330, are a portal into an elaborate world that blends social engagement with relentless competition. Kids can use the watches to buy snacks at local shops, chat and share videos with friends, play games, and, sure, stay in touch with their families. But the main activity is accumulating as many “likes” as possible on their watch’s profile page. On the extreme end, Chinese media outlets have reported on kids who buy bots to juice their numbers, hack the watches to dox their enemies, and sometimes even find romantic partners. According to tech research firm Counterpoint Research, Little Genius accounts for nearly half of global market share for kids’ smartwatches.
Over the past decade, Little Genius has found ways to gamify nearly every measurable activity in the life of a child—playing Ping Pong, posting updates, the list goes on. Earning more experience points boosts kids to a higher level, which increases the number of likes they can send to friends. It’s a game of reciprocity—you send me likes, and I’ll return the favor. One 18-year-old recently told Chinese media that she had struggled to make friends until four years ago when a classmate invited her into a Little Genius social circle. She racked up more than 1 million likes and became a mini celebrity on the platform. She said she met all three of her boyfriends through the watch, two of whom she broke up with because they asked her to send erotic photos.