Manage screen time while learning online

How do you balance screen time and online learning? Online learning is now an important part of all students’ daily lives. Is the monitoring screen time out of the window?

Ten years ago, a large study found that students between the ages of 8 and 18 use the above technology seven hours a day. This statistic gave rise to the term “screen time.”

Experts researched the effects on children’s social development and noted the effects of online time in several areas, including social anxiety, sleep habits, and attention span.

Thanks to the coronavirus, screens have become part of the fact that children learn both at school and outside. This means that it is more important than ever to pay attention to how long children stay on their screen and for whom they are using technology.

Not all screen times are the same

There is a difference between using technology for learning and using technology as a form of entertainment. Kids need a range of activities online and offline, including exploration through their minds. Screen time that promotes social, such as face time with friends or video conferencing with teachers, is beneficial. Activities in which children feel engaged, such as playing interactive video games, are better than idle and lonely screen time, such as watching YouTube videos.

There is a difference between using technology for learning and using technology as a form of entertainment. Children need a variety of online and offline experiences, including opportunities to wander their brains. Screen time that promotes social, such as face time with friends or video conferencing with teachers, is beneficial. Activities in which children feel engaged, such as playing interactive video games, are better than idle and lonely screen time, such as watching YouTube videos.

Now that screens are part of the way children learn, the question is, “How long do kids stay online?” Has been removed from “Who are they using their online time for, and how is it affecting their minds?”

Much of the screen time has been associated with the following:

Health factors- Prolonged staring at screens can cause headaches and physical discomfort, especially for children who are not used to it. It can also lead to weight gain and other unhealthy lifestyle issues.

Attention and Impairment Issues – Social media is linked to dopamine provision, which makes its use addictive. It is also a moment of reflection, which gives the brain instant feedback. Unfortunately, too much screen time can shorten the focus when it becomes difficult to focus when offline.

Lack of creativity Time– Consuming content does not allow for anger. Freedom from anger and wandering is essential because this is the time when creativity and imagination develop.

Sleep effects and memory – Blue light emitted from screens, especially in the hours before bed, can interfere with the natural circadian rhythms that cause sleep deprivation as children learn in class how sleep deprivation affects their brain’s ability to process and store new information.

Social factors– Due to the increasing use of social media with the younger generation, social factors such as depression and social development are rising.

Here are three tips to help you manage your screen time in online learning

Although we cannot control the fact that screen time is now an integral part of the school, we can control how much technology is used for social and entertainment.

It is important to balance life. Too much time in front of screens is not healthy. Therefore, when the school needs to use student screens, it is important to balance online and offline time each day.

• Know Your Consumption Habits – Pay attention to how screens are used in non-learning times. Is it for socialization or entertainment? Are children becoming social and creative? Or is it just using YouTube media?
• Agree on an offline time together – whether it’s walking the dog every night, keeping the phone away at dinner, or playing board games a few times a week, agree as a family to get some tech-free every day. Take your time.
• Create a study studio– Because learning is mobile, it cannot be easy to separate learning times and non-learning times. Building a home study studio will allow you to use the time to learn about other life fields.