LIFESTYLE | page 10
ONLINE OVERWHELM The potential negative effects that online school could have on students’ mental health.
Photo by Bella Baker Above: Sitting in front of a computer screen for hours at a time can be mentally taxing on students who are trying to succeed at online school.
By Bella Baker
Lifestyle Editor
M
any students have chosen to switch to distance learning this year. This has been a big adjustment for some teens that have never gone through online schooling before. This change of pace results in a very different day to day routine. With more time being spent at home and away from peers, Many wonder the effects this has on students’ mental health. Jill Khan, a licensed family therapist, shared some of her knowledge on mental health and the effects online schooling has on the brain. She explained that there are essentially 3 main ways online school can affect kids: emotionally, physically and cognitively. “Emotionally, teenagers need to have socialisation and interact with their peers,” Khan said, “It’s very important for their emotional development.”
She shared that it is important for order thinking skills.” Khan said. This students to engage with others around means individuals learn to think in them and use that to grow and help more complex ways when interacting themselves. “With working online, with people around us directly. This is we are seeing a ⅓ increase in anxiety, super important to help kids learn and deppresion, think more panick attacks, critically. and suicide at“When “Emotionally, teenagers need doing [school] tempts,” Khan states. Making to have socialisation and interact online we miss sure students out on social with their peers.” have people cues and pick -Jill Khan to talk to and up on subtle support them nuances” Khanwhile they stated. Without tackle online social cues it is school is crucial to their mental health. difficult for someone to develop emBeing isolated not only has negative pathy. People need to see other peoples effects on people’s emotions, but also faces and hear their voices in order on how one thinks. “Cognitively, when to become more in tune and sensitive people are talking about their ideas it to these emotional pieces related to helps then develop what we call higher empathy.
In addition, there are physical consequences as well. When sitting at a screen for hours it can cause eye fatigue, back pain, headaches, stiffness, and other negative effects. Having frequent movement when working at a computer helps the body to become less lethargic and promotes positive charges in one’s brain. Getting physical activity also gives the brain something else to focus on and direct energy towards instead of being mentally exhausted from doing assignments at a computer screen all day. Working from home is not always easy mentally, emotionally, or physically. Taking steps to talk to a supportive mentor or teacher and get physical activity are simple things that could improve mental health in students who struggle in online school.
