“Not more than 45 minutes..OK!”  – this and so many more dialogues have been said to children across all ages by their parents, trying desperately to limit the screen time & encourage the children to play actual physical games and take up art, crafting, hobbies. etc. 

One major change that 2020 brought into our lives was the compulsion of being glued to the screen. Sadly, children are the most affected, I say this only because parents and caregivers would try & control the screen time prior to 2020 lockdowns. 

The compulsion of staying in front of the screen for all those schooling hours may have done some irreparable damage to the young developing eyes, brain and bodies. I shudder to think of all the research and studies that will be published to highlight the effects of Covid-19 on the population, especially children! We can see some of the effects right in our home homes or around us.

Everyone is bothered about the amount of screen time being made compulsory for children. Compulsory, because of school, classes, literally everything has suddenly shifted online for them (for us adults also). I as a parent didn’t realise this earlier in say, April-May; but for the last 3 months I have been seriously thinking about how to cut down on the compulsory screen time. I notice that even school periods such as swimming and PE are conducted online. I wish there were other options such as to have the kids do some physical activity under parent/guardian supervision in an outdoor or any place away from the screen. 

The point I am trying to make is that we have tried really well to function in a situation that was forced onto us and we’ve done it well. There is however a problem in that ‘making it work and function’ modality. We have forgotten the basic human need of connecting with nature, connecting with people that is most required. We are all missing that the most. 

We have taken so easily to meeting people online. We have learnt how to work online, how to conduct meetings online, how to shop online, how to take our hobby classes online, how to take online Yoga or Pilates classes. Everything. At times I feel we were all slowly and steadily prepared for this eventuality. We have been introduced to “smart phones” for a reason, don’t you think so? I smell a conspiracy! 

We’ve been handed devices that monitored our every move, search, what we watched, what we wrote, what we liked, commented on. Now those very devices are keeping us pinned down in one place, in one posture (often bad), we were given high speed internet when we were completely happy & functioning with what we had prior to that, now again we’re given 5G! Did we ask for it? Newer content is being churned out to entertain us, to keep us busy and basically not think and live beyond these devices and the web of the internet.

Or am I just a very agitated parent who is worried for her children’s eyes and most importantly of their mental health. My teen told me 4 months back how stressful online school made him and how he didn’t enjoy it one bit. This got me thinking and I probed into it and found some answers. Firstly, the children are not having fun like they do in normal school, everything is super regimented. They are forced to be completely attentive all the time, they are quickly pulled up every time they wander off (somewhere in their thoughts). They can’t do naughty things with their friends, not in the classroom nor in general. They have ceased being children. We’ve pushed them into a very difficult role of an adult in the most cruel manner and without any thought given to what they want.

The prolonged screen time is making them anxious, stressed, confused, exhausted, and we’re not even talking about physical issues! – strain in the young eye, the constant pressure to be attentive in the online class, the feeling of losing out on being just a child, check if camera is on, mic is on, work is done on time, no playing with friends, talking to school friends has reduced dramatically…it’s sad to see them not being able to be a child.

When the pandemic was new and everyone was busy trying to keep everyone going and help one another stay positive, at that time there were many learned and wise people who were speaking about taking a break. Break from usual, break from routine. Break from school for children, a break would do them no harm physically, school can continue later once the pandemic has passed over. This idea frizzled out in all the other noise and din. 

What would really happen if we stopped schools? What would happen if children learnt all other life necessary skills like sewing, cooking, cleaning, etc.? Wouldn’t that be education as well? Many of us (me included) felt that online school would give some structure to their day and routine. Now I think of the same and wonder whether I was right. Why do I need a school to tell me what way my child should spend time? Why do I feel the need of an external factor to keep them busy? Am I so incapable of organizing fun and educational stuff for my children to do? These are very tough questions which I  wish I had spent more time on then. 

Having said that, I hope I can take a more holistic approach to this issue. Perhaps I will write to the school to suggest a non-online time for children during PE or sports or swimming lessons. 

Best would be that the pandemic ends and the children go back to being kids and having a fun, naughty, mischievous, active time with their friends running around school grounds and corridors and making a ruckus! I am sure even the school buildings and grounds are missing all the giggles, laughter and sound of running footsteps. 

So, what will you do about the online time your children must do? Will you continue as is or will you try to find a more gentle solution that keeps children in focus and catering to what they want and not what we think is best for them. After all we’re all facing the pandemic together.

Here are some alarming facts:

• In 2020 the screen time average is 13 hours for working adults!! 
• In US alone, the number of hours a child spends on a device has doubled in Covid times
• With increased screen time, what has also increased is the closeness of these screens/devices to our eyes
• UNICEF has written about this issue on their website – https://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/stories/rethinking-screen-time-time-covid-19

• Some articles you must read:
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/covid-19-impact-screen-time-up-by-100-for-children/articleshow/76383951.cms?from=mdr
• https://childmind.org/article/screen-time-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/