How do online classes hamper children’s growth?
The widespread incidence of coronavirus has resulted in a shift toward online lessons by schools, universities, and coachings, among others. Although online programmes were previously available in many areas, COVID-19 has cleared the door for a new style of teaching across the country through online classes. Almost all institutions, colleges, and universities have recently begun offering online classes to students in order for them to complete their education during this epidemic. These online classes are assisting professors and students in finishing the class curriculum, which would not have been feasible in any other way. At the moment, both instructors and students have embraced this new educational paradigm and are attempting to adapt to it with each passing day. However, along with the numerous benefits of online education, there are also drawbacks.
Here are a few obvious ways they hamper a child’s growth:
Eye strain: Long periods of time spent in front of a screen require the eye muscles to stretch and focus closer. This is not the natural/default position of the eyes. Excessive close-screen time can cause fatigue and eye strain. As a result, children frequently experience headaches and complain of eye pain.
Addiction: Screen time is typically used as passive entertainment for children. Children are entertained (and gain pleasure) by expending the least amount of energy. As children would have to put in more effort for all other activities, this leads to addiction.
Apart from addiction children are also getting much dependent on smartphones and laptops to reconnect knowledge learning and information they have previously sought. While at school children were completely aware that they do not have any parental support, so they made decisions on their own, which empowered their decision-making capabilities and developed their personality and leadership skills. However in the current scenario when children are always in the presence of their parent’s children have stopped making decisions for themselves and they look forward to their parents every time they face any such situation that they could previously handle in school on their own, making them gravely dependent on their parents. This is killing their personality development as well.
Adult content: During long, unsupervised screen times, children may unintentionally be exposed to adult content. This could have a negative impact on a variety of topics. They may also become prey to child predators.
Social skills: When children become accustomed to the online medium, their proclivity to deal with real-life situations (peer-to-peer social negotiations) may decrease because it requires many adjustments. This could result in suboptimal social skill development.
However, if done with proper care and supervision, online classes can be very beneficial to children.
Children’s development is further hampered due to lesser physical activity that is the result of spending more time online. It has also been discovered that children who are isolated at home as a result of the pandemic are more likely to develop depression than those who are socially active and meet with friends and family. Children are becoming more introverted as a result of fewer meetups and social activities.
Finally,
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic took over the entire world, children around the globe have been forced to sit in front of a screen to receive their education. This has led to many severe problems faced by these children. While the disadvantage continuous to haunt these children, it is important to choose the right educational platforms that would consider the well-being of the children as well as their education. This would enable the child to enjoy some relief in these dark times without sacrificing their education in the process.
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