Screen-based lifestyle harms children’s health

Crystal C
Feb 3, 2017
2 min read

Article Summary

Ten years ago, many people were concerned about children’s health for a few reasons; less outdoor play, more time spent on screens, and competitive schooling. Even though this is still a fear shared by many parents and educators, not enough action is being taken. These factors are increasing mental and physical illness within children, such as anxiety, depression, and obesity. These can be long-term issues that not only affect individuals, but society as a whole. This article lists some solutions to these problems, such as creating an approach to education that highlights social and emotional development, as well as additional outdoor play. The more time children spend on screens, the less likely they are to interact with others, thus leading to less social and emotional skills. The author also advises the government to create policies for screen use for children 12 years and younger. If these issues aren’t taken seriously, the mental and physical health of society in the future will continue to decline.

click here to read full article

Personal Opinion

I agree with the author in this article. I think children spend too much time indoors on iPads, smartphones, etc. When I was younger, as soon as I got home from school, I would go outside to play with my friends from the neighbourhood. We would ride our bikes around the block in the summer, search for the prettiest leaves in the fall, build snow forts in the winter, and create chalk drawings in the spring. I remember when DPA (daily physical activity) took effect; I was in middle school (2005). The Education Minister of Ontario announced that each elementary student in Ontario had to take part in a minimum of 20 minutes of outdoor play, each day. DPA was scheduled during class time, which meant that students were receiving outdoor play during regular recess time, and for an extra 20 minutes at some point of the day. I think this was a great idea to get children outside, but why wasn't this mandatory in high school, when teenagers spend even more time on screens?