In the modern world, screens are everywhere, from our classrooms and workplaces to our homes and pockets. For children and teenagers, they can be a window to learning, enjoyment and connection with the world. Too much screen time, however, can have serious consequences.
In the modern world, screens are everywhere, from our classrooms and workplaces to our homes and pockets. For children and teenagers, they can be a window to learning, enjoyment and connection with the world. Too much screen time, however, can have serious consequences.
Adults spend, on average, between six and seven hours per day in front of screens. In Spain, like much of Europe, children and teenagers spend more than three hours per day looking at screens, though this figure can double at weekends.
Such intense exposure has obvious problems, such as taking time away from other beneficial activities like sport or socializing in person. It also has negative health impacts, ranging from short-sightedness, headaches and musculoskeletal disorders to shorter attention spans and delays in the development of children’s problem solving and communication skills.
Beyond the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, the ubiquity of screens is prompting many families and teachers to wonder whether education without technology, or at least with less screen time, would be better.
However, we also need to teach children how to deal with the internet and how to work with technology. Training young people in digital skills, such as critical thinking and cybersecurity, is essential to keeping them safe online.
