Mental Health & Wellbeing
Being Online & Screen Time
Being Online & Screen Time
Dear Families,
Earlier this term students in years four, five, and six completed the Attitudes to School Survey. Part of my role is to analyse the data from the survey and consider ways to help our students with their Social and Emotional Learning.
One area of the survey that I noticed was around the use of electronic devices. Over the years I have seen a trend that more students are spending more time on screens. I know that there are many benefits, however I often wonder about the connection of screen time to wellbeing.
Here is some data that stood out to me:
- About 10% of our students spend over 5 hours per day on a screen
- Nearly 60% of our students spend between 1 and 5 hours per day on a screen
- Most of our students use electronic devices to communicate with friends
- Screen time is similar between genders.
As a parent, I have often been challenged by managing my kids screen time at home. I’ve wondered how I could help them best and to help them manage this issue independently as they have grown older. My youngest son Monty is now 17 and screen time continues to be something that I think about.
Over the holidays, think about your children and their screen time. Is there something that you could do differently? Could you try something new? How could you involve your kids in this conversation? Or maybe you are happy with the time your child spends on screens. I don’t think that there is an answer to many of these questions, however I know that I can always make improvements at home.
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Andy McNeilly
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
