A school shutdown that’s had kids learning through remote, virtual classes for several weeks is being extended into the middle of June. That has some parents worried.
They have noticed that since schools shut down, their kids have been spending much far more time in front of screens than usual. And with the shutdown extended, this spike in daily screen time seems to be turning into the new normal.
It’s been announced that a shutdown of schools designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is being extended to June 14. That means several more weeks of remote classes via computer.
Not all parents are entirely comfortable with this move. Since schools shut down, their kids have been staring at screens all day—at computer screens during school hours, and at TVs, smartphones, and tablets the rest of the time. Will a few more weeks of computer-based lessons make their kids nearsighted?
Some concerned parents are trying to get their kids away from screens. One parent says she’s been encouraging her daughter to do anything she likes while at home, especially activities that don’t involve screens like making clay models.
For their part, schools are trying to help keep kids active and moving around, with exercise classes and hands-on classes, like one scouting class, in which kids learn about how fire can be made when outdoors. The goal is to keep kids fit, exercising their creativity, and doing something other than staring at a screen.