Child desire for technology, especially around Christmas, is stopping them develop their social skills according to a young father.

Michael Valarino, who led a very active life, participating in sports and other activities, is seeing how his offspring are missing out on that side of his development.

"Nowadays kids who are seven, eight or nine years old instead of getting outdoor toys get games consoles or tablet computers. That market has so captured young minds that children now stay indoors a lot more instead of getting things they can share with others outside the home.

"On the other hand, I think adults have got a bit fed up of the whole idea of consumerism in Gibraltar as they've seen through it, instead keeping the family focus where everyone goes to everyone else's and they host family dinners and parties."

Valarino said one of the reasons for this may be that "we're now so well off here that we don't need to wait for Christmas to get our big gift" so this whole idea of waiting for a one-off present during this season is not such an aspiration.

This compares to his own youth, when toys were far simpler and were based around bicycles or games, with only the very wealthy starting to acquire hi-tech presents.

"There are some people who still continue to see Christmas as a religious event while others see it as a time to celebrate and have fun with family and friends," he continued. "You can over-analyse it but the most important thing is just to celebrate this time as an individual irrespective of the reason, especially as I don't think Jesus was born on the 25th December anyway.

"It has lost the Christian side of things, where we recall Jesus' birth, but it is still a celebration and that's the most important thing."

Interaction

The childhood attraction to technology is clearly apparent to the father-of-three who sees their computer world at an early age and can surf the net, but he does try to take them to 'the campo' as much as possible too to balance that out.

"Technology distances you from the other, making us spectators of other people's lives via social media," said Valarino. "When we're playing video games we're playing a virtual reality while in our youth access to television was far more monitored and controlled.

"Moreover, it has been proven that children who don't interact socially with others take longer to learn how to share, solve conflict and interpret body language. Social interaction with another human being is affected if they don't know how to share a packet of sweets or how a brother and sister protect the family identity.

"There's much deeper learning that happens when you have conflict with one another rather than sitting in front of a screen all day. Before, if you had face-to-face confrontation in a big group you learnt to deal with it and overcome differences while not being offended, while now it's harder."

Growth process

He agreed that added wealth has brought its own benefits too, like housing, transportation and further education so that young people can take their own independent steps in life.

"There's a far better distribution of housing than when we were young although society has had to balance that availability of homes with the fact we now live in a concrete jungle," said Valarino. "One could say it has compromised space in town but this may be the necessary evil of giving a family a place to live.

"When we were young the reclamation was just coming up meaning we had more space to play in, while nowadays with so much more fear of having them running about, we have contributed to them being housebound. On the other hand I have been able to get a degree without leaving UK, something that's only been made possible in the last ten years."

He said that one thing that hasn't changed is the "prudent" attitude we have to our economic affairs in Gibraltar: "We've always had to be a step ahead because of all the pressure from Spain that makes us think on our feet, so that in the present Gibraltar is overall better than ever.

"You're always going to get the elderly generation saying the kids don't know what they're doing nowadays but history repeats itself so when they were young they probably said the same about them!"

Brexit Would Take Years to Untie UK (and Gibraltar) from the EU

December 22, 2015

Our Politicians have made it perfectly clear about the impact of the forthcoming EU Referendum on the future of Gibraltar.

We have reported on this numerous times in Panorama and the threat of a Brexit, including whether Brussels could interfere with the Rock's economy if it grabbed more power in this respect.

The Chief Minister during the recent swearing in ceremony of parliament said he wanted to acknowledge the fact that Gibraltarians will vote in the referendum for the United Kingdom's continued membership of the European Union as a result of David Cameron being true to his word to include Gibraltar in the franchise.

However, Mr Picardo, quite rightly 'erred on the side of political caution' when he said, referring to the opposition " we must work together, across the floor of this House, to ensure that we do the best planning for the eventualities that BREXIT may present"

EU Unpopular in the UK

It's no surprise that presently, the EU is unpopular in the UK with many in the media and elsewhere demanding a referendum on withdrawal from the Union. Latest polls suggest that if a referendum were held this week, the majority of people in Britain would vote to leave or for major changes to the Treaties.

There is little doubt UK Prime Minister David Cameron has staked his political reputation on a gamble: promising to hold a referendum on EU membership based on concessions he has yet to secure. A vote could come as early as next June, though Cameron has said only he would call a Referendum by the end of 2017.

Both Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne insist they want Britain to stay in the EU and indeed be at the heart of it. Although I find the latter difficult to understand when the UK are in intense negotiations to water down the UK EU membership.

Last week, EU leaders all but rejected Cameron's main element of his drive to reform the UK's EU relationship, leaving the Prime Minister searching for a possible 'Plan B'.

After 4 or 5 hours on intense talks in Paris on the UK's EU future Cameron insisted things were on the right path to an agreement. A deal that will have to be struck in a follow-up summit in February 2016, this if the UK is to remain EU member, as it is today!

For those who are not aware, David Cameron is renegotiating the U.K.'s relationship with the EU in the following four main areas:

· Protect access to the single market for Britain and EU members outside the Eurozone

· Improve the EU's economic competitiveness

· End Britain's obligation under EU treaties to work toward an "ever-closer union;"

· Introduce ways for groups of national parliaments to block EU legislation

· Limit access to in-work benefits for EU citizens from outside the U.K. to deter migration

Untangling UK and Gibraltar from the EU Will not be Easy… Experts Say

If the UK were to vote to leave the European Union, experts say the adjustment period would likely consume respective (EU-UK) Parliaments including ours for a number of years!

Yes, the UK would have voted to leave the EU, but it promises to be an extremely difficulty exercise. Officials and experts say the process of adjusting to existence outside the EU would likely consume the British Parliament for years, making it unlikely the government could focus on much else.

One expert predicts, that should the people of Britain decide to leave the EU, "it will be at least five years work", and even then it will not be finished," said Jean-Claude Piris, former legal counsel to the European Council.

If the UK public decided to leave the European Union, Britain would have to give notice of its intention to withdraw. A situation, that would likely trigger negotiations where the UK and the EU would seek a new agreement to govern their relationship… and that would certainly include

Gibraltar!Brexit Would Also Include UK Citizens Living Abroad Losing EU Status

In addition, the new status of EU citizens living in the UK would have to be resolved with the remaining 27 EU member nations. British citizens would lose their EU citizenship, and the status of the close to two million of them living and working in the EU would need to be settled. These latter discussions would be difficult if, as is likely, the British would sought to reduce the number of EU citizens living in the U.K and vice-versa no doubt. It would also be an important issue in Gibraltar.

Another huge problem for both the UK and Gibraltar would be the 40 years of EU legislation on legislative books that would also need reviewing and possibly re-legislating. Including thousands of EU regulations that would possibly vanish leaving legal voids in many areas of law that would need work to plug the gaps.

The British Government would also have to review a host of EU-inspired laws that the U.K. would no longer be obligated to apply. It would have to decide whether to keep, amend or repeal them. Another similar exercise for the Gibraltar Parliament no doubt.

Among other things, experts also say it would also involve a large amount of UK law relating to agriculture and fisheries, transportation, competition policy, consumer protection, the environment, energy and commercial policies. A British system of subsidies for farms and fisheries would need to be worked out, as would similar laws in Gibraltar.

Border checks might have to be reinstated at the U.K.'s only land frontier with Ireland.

Although, not much of a problem here from a local perspective, especially regarding our own frontier with Spain, as nothing much has changed at the frontier since the UK and Gibraltar joined the EU in 1973!

New Trade Agreements Would Have to be Negotiated

However, Britain would also need to negotiate new trade and other agreements, because those concluded by the EU would no longer apply. It would have to withdraw from EU negotiations over new trade agreements.

EU treaties suggest these negotiations could take some two years. A deadline, which could be extended on agreement. Experts believe such a wide-ranging negotiation exercise would likely last longer than two years to conclude. During that time, the U.K. would still be a EU member, but there would be little incentive for other governments to treat it as one.

There could be further complications. According to Mujtaba Rahman, Europe head for the consultancy Eurasia Group who has told the press, that three parallel negotiations could be going on. The U.K. would be dealing with the rest of the EU; the other 27 EU states would be deliberating among themselves on the shape of their treaty after the U.K. exit; and then there is Scotland and the possibility of another referendum.

A Brexit would be a nasty separation from the EU, as bad as an acrimonious divorce proceeding in a long-term marriage!

French President thanks Gibraltar

December 22, 2015

Translation of President Hollande's letter to the Chief Minister

Paris, 17th December 2015

Dear Chief of Government,

I was very touched by the terms of your letter of support that you so kindly sent me, on behalf of

the Government and people of Gibraltar, following the terrible attacks which left France in

mourning last 13 November. I thank you, most sincerely.

These despicable attacks have caused many victims. It is the very soul of France that these

murderers were targeting. They wanted to kill our values of tolerance, peace and liberty, values

which we shall never surrender.

You can rest assured that we will not allow ourselves to be impressed by horror. Far from making

us doubt, these cowardly and abhorrent acts strengthen our determination to eradicate terrorism.

In these particularly difficult times, the messages of friendship and solidarity that we have

received from the entire planet, such as yours, are an invaluable assistance in our fight against

hatred and barbarism.

Please believe, Mr Chief of Government, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Francois Hollande

22-12-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

Winning and losing

December 22, 2015

Dear Sir,

I happened to go to a junior football match this weekend to watch a relative play.

The match was, at times, very much one -sided and proof of that was the tally of goals by the seemingly older players of Manchester 62 FC - which is a normal occurrence so I was told in this age group - which I totally understand and accept. However what I cannot understand and have difficulty in accepting is that the Manchester 62 FC manager/coach should encourage and force his keeper to come forward from his position in goal and attempt to score a goal - not once but twice!

Personally I found that to be both disrespectful and rude and those actions by the coach made Manchester 62 the days big-time losers, especially when you are trying to instill in the young players a sense of sportsmanship, teamwork, respect, etc which will hopefully also accompany them into their adult lives. It may be allowed under UEFA rules which is currently all the rage in Gibraltar but call me old-fashioned at best - some things are just not done Mr. Coach ! a simple substitution would have worked just as well - be a man in losing but be a bigger man in winning! …… in this case NOT!

Many thanks.

D. Fisher

22-12-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR