By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

Self-balancing electric scooters may have become popular among youngsters in Qatar but many parents feel that regular use of such toys may pose serious health risks to their children in the future.
A couple who have two sons told Gulf Times they were thankful that many of the malls in Doha had banned the use of scooters at their premises.
“For the past few weeks our children have been asking us to buy them these toys but we told them we do not have the money,” the husband said. “The truth is we want them to walk with us.”
He cited the importance of engaging children in an active lifestyle such as walking, sports and other physical exercises instead of giving them electronic gadgets.
A sedentary lifestyle could lead to a lot of serious health risks, according to him. Young children tend to eat too much while staying at home without doing any physical activity.
The couple and their two sons visit different malls during weekends and walk for at least an hour as part of their regular exercise.
“We use a pedometre or sometimes an app on our smartphone to monitor our steps. We always try to complete the 10,000 steps recommended by Aspire’s ‘Step into health’ programme, which I think is good,” the husband added. “So we really appreciate the malls’ decision to ban the scooters.”
In partnership with Aspire Zone, major malls in Doha have been encouraging residents to walk at their premises. Hyatt Plaza Mall opens early morning even on Fridays to accommodate those who want to ‘walk in the mall’.
An employee of a leading airline share this view saying that it is better to engage children in physical activities at young age.
Instead of buying a self-balancing electric scooter, he bought his son and daughter two small bicycles, badminton and table tennis rackets. He also set up a mini basketball in the garage where the two can play when the heat goes down in the afternoon.
“They can only use their electronic gadgets during the weekend. Playing basketball or badminton or table tennis during weekday after studying is allowed,” he said.
He believes it is difficult to disappoint children especially when they insist on something. However, he stressed that refusing to give what could be detrimental to them is better than to have any regrets in the future.   
After these scooters (also called smart balance wheel) were banned in malls, some children can be seen navigating less populated roads in Doha with these toys.
Besides health risks, a number of residents said using these scooters on the road can also put children in danger as they navigate through speeding vehicles.
With speeds of up to 9.6km per hour,  people believe the rider may lose his balance and control or fall from the scooter due to sudden braking to avoid a  vehicle.