Prolonged screen time can have a negative impact on children's health.
Online education has emerged as the new normal post the coronavirus pandemic. It is likely to continue for a few more months or a year or as long as the pandemic lasts. World Health Organization (WHO) Director coronavirusGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that they hope to finish the coronavirus pandemic in less than two years -- faster than it took for the deadly 1918 Spanish flu. Until a cure or vaccine for this contagious disease is developed, things may not return to normal.
While many Indian states are considering reopening schools in a phased manner under certain restrictions, the question remains whether parents would be willing to send their kids to school amidst the pandemic. All these factors suggest that online classes may continue to take place until mass vaccination against COVID-19 begins.
Meanwhile, many parents, especially working parents, are finding it difficult to juggle work and their kids' online classes. Here are some challenges facing parents and students while trying to adjust to the new normal along with tips on how to tackle them.
To attend online lectures, your kid needs a device that is connected to the internet a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. If there's an extra smartphone or laptop in the family, you may not face this challenge. If not so, you have to share your smartphone with your kid. Your client or employer may call when your child's online lecture is on. And it would tough to decide whose need is more important each time. The best solution to this problem is to buy a new smartphone/laptop for your kid, but not all parents can afford that now. So, an alternative solution to this issue is to purchase a very low-cost phone for your work-related calls.
There needs to be someone to supervise the child's online classes to ensure that he/she is paying attention to the lecture. This is a big challenge when both parents are working. The best way to deal with this issue is to take turns to participate in your child's learning process. You can decide the timing with your partner to make sure that one of you is always with the child during his/her online classes. You can also negotiate with your employer to allow flexible work-from-home timings so as to match with your child's classes.
Children, especially younger ones, may not be able to stay focused for longer periods of time when classes happen on a screen rather than in classrooms. Prolonged screen time can also have a negative impact on their health. To fix these issues, parents can discuss with teachers or school authorities to give students more home-based activities that do not require access to screens or smartphones. Parents can also request for lectures to be recorded for later viewing so that students can willingly attend a class, which will also increase their attention during the class hour.
