DHAHRAN: Anas Bukhash stood on stage at Ithra’s first Sync Summit wearing a light-colored traditional Emirati dishdasha and a big smile. In a sea of suits, he was authentically himself.
A well-known Emirati serial entrepreneur, who seamlessly flows in either Arabic or English, he is a professional interviewer with one of the most well-liked voices in the region.
In 2021, he was selected as one of Arab News’ Top MENA-based podcasters of 2021 for his show, “ABtalks,” where he conducts weekly one-on-one chats with local and international figures in sports, pop culture and the business world.
At Sync, he was in conversation with 16-year-old American Gitanjali Rao, who was TIME Magazine’s First-Ever “Kid of the Year” in 2020 and Isabella Plunkett, a community operations analyst from Ireland.
Their chat revolved around how digital technology has been positively and negatively impacting young minds. The panel offered some insights on how today’s youth are being affected by being so online — and what can and should be done to prioritize physical and mental health of this demographic during these uncertain times.
This is an era where everyone with a smart device has access to an abundance of information and connection is often available within our fingertips. Disconnecting becomes a choice.
Bukhash felt right at home — whether he speaks to two young people or 2,000 adults, he has a knack for extracting the vulnerable and raw sides from those he converses with. He gushes about how many of his guests willingly reveal their deepest, darkest moments. He proudly talks about how he has made grown men cry. But he always makes sure that everyone smiles at the end of their talk. He just wants people to listen and be heard.
“Fatherhood made me a bit softer — according to my mother. I was the firstborn, so I fell into that role very quickly of being ‘the good kid.’ It’s a certain role. In school, I wasn’t hated and I wasn’t the most popular — just neutral. I was good with everyone. I’m just neutral,” he told Arab News.
As a father to two “good boys,” Bukhash has made a name for himself in the industry and beyond, for trying to use personal narratives as a way to help make sense of the world we live in.
“I’m 40, so I am with the generation that grew up with no Internet. We grew up with no social media,” he said.
But transitioning from a person with an analog life to having 862,000 followers on Instagram and many others on different platforms required some work. Balancing being both online and offline has been his constant mission.
“I’m very disciplined. If you see my phones, I won’t have them face up. I have zero notifications on them. I love social media — it is my business. It’s how I take my content and share it with people. It’s how I connect to you,” he said.
“I do think we’re all hooked to our phones. Because so much is in it — your passport copies, your family groups and your emails. You can kind of do your job, at least 40 percent of it, on your phone today,” he said.
But life is more than just work. He started to learn about digital wellbeing after being invited to speak at Sync, and credits the summit with helping him solidify his plan to secure a healthier version of himself.
“Honestly, it’s the first time I was introduced to these terminologies by this (Sync Summit) event — I never put them together. You know ‘wellbeing’ and you know ‘digital,’ but ‘digital wellbeing’ was such an interesting combination to think about. What does that exactly mean? I think it’s your wellbeing and how that is regulated or looked after in the digital world,” he said.
To him, the ‘digital world’ is not a live creature with emotions, but a ‘beautiful tool’ that can either elevate or destroy. He likens social media to a hammer. With it, you could either build a table, or break your furniture.
He also practices what he preaches.
“Recently, I read an article about how kids would imitate behavior much more than advice. I like to be present and look at somebody — look at their face, look at their eyes. Listen to them. I really believe you’re a role model in your actions. And then we can always get back to the phone. It’s not going anywhere,” he said.
