Spend less time on devices and explore new hobbies and interests: a group of Class V students tell their juniors at Calcutta International School.
The age to own a device is increasingly going down.
About 50 per cent of Class I students have a smartphone at their disposal, the junior school principal said. “Peers talking sometimes has a greater effect,” said Pratima Nayar.
“The whole idea is to control screen time because there is an overload of unnecessary content in the brain. The members of the student council, who are an elected body, said they wanted to make a presentation and talk to other students,” Nayar said.
In the presentation done in the last week on November, the group spoke about spending less time on devices for better focus, joining sports or other activities to boost “brain health”, connecting with friends, hanging out with them and exploring new hobbies and interests.
“Engaging in a mix of activities fosters creativity. Stay curious and explore new interests while reaching out for help when needed to enhance your learning experience,” they said.
Students in groups of two were addressing children in every class and also answering queries from them.
“We heard students asking the student council members whether the overuse of devices impacts adults as well. The children responded by saying it is often work-related for adults, but unrestricted screen time is harmful for adults, too. Since the brain of a child is in the developmental stage it is important that we monitor what we are feeding the brain, the children said,” a teacher said.
Parents indulge children by giving them devices and often justify that as a means of tracking a child at home while they are away.
“Usually, a child of that age group neither travels nor stays alone in the house, and yet they have a device. Children as small as five or seven years old would come to school and say they have a tablet or a phone which they use to watch cartoons,” said a teacher.
It is practically impossible for parents to monitor continuously what the child is watching if they have a device at their disposal. They have access to online games, social media platforms and adult content, too.
“Too much screen time makes children lose focus,” said Class V student Dhruv Patodia, a student council member.
Saishaa Narula, another Class V student, said phones can muddle up priorities.
The school felt that, instead of teachers, children addressing their juniors would be more impactful.
“Teachers are looked at as authority, but when peers address peers, the dimensions change and they can relate to them and connect with them,” said Nayar.
In the next round, the students’ council will survey how much time the children spend on screens and what they view online.
“Between student to student, we hope it is far more unfiltered,” said Nayar.