Researchers have unveiled a new set of guidelines around how long kids should interact with screens in the classroom.
While technology can be a great tool for learning, it comes at a risk to children’s health and can cause dry eye, myopia, loss of physical fitness, noise-induced hearing loss and pain syndromes.
According to the University of Auckland researchers, students in New Zealand have some of the highest rates of screen use in the world, with Māori and young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds over represented.
This morning, the researchers released a clear set of guidelines, hoping to help educators balance technology’s health risks with its educational benefits.
For children under two years old, researchers recommend no screen time at all.
In early childcare, for those aged between two and six, minimal screen time is recommended. If it is needed, researchers suggest it should only be done in 10-to-15-minute intervals.
At primary school, kids aged six to 12 should only be exposed to screens for no more than a third of the school day — up to two hours.
From 13 to 18, the emphasis is on encouraging intentional and balanced screen use, with regular eye breaks and limitations on headphone or earbud use.
Asked what inspired her to take on the project, lead researcher and paediatric physiotherapist Julie Cullen said: “It was a number of years ago now that I first started to notice kids coming through the clinic who seemed to have issues relating to higher screen use.”
She said more families were asking for support, and eye doctors started discussing the need for clearer guidance.
“Technology certainly can provide opportunities for learning, and kids will need great digital skills,” Cullen said.
“But it really is broadly accepted now, including in scientific communities, that along with those opportunities, digital technologies and internet access do present a risk of harm.”
Cullen said there had been a lot of guidance around the recreational use of technology but nothing when it came to the classroom.
“A need for this was established.”
She said technology was a great learning tool but said there needed to be “balanced use”. It wasn’t an “either-or equation”.
The research appears to have been welcomed by much of the sector.
Ministry of Education chief digital officer Stuart Wakefield said: “The Ministry welcomes the report and the clarity it provides on recommendations for educational institutions on how to safely use devices for learning outcomes.
“We look forward to working with the education sector on how best to give effect to the recommendations.”
Chris Abercrombie from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association said the union would “agree” with the research, “particularly around encouraging conversations with young people around how to find a healthy balance between the educational benefits of technology and potential harms”.
“The effects of excessive screen time on children and young people are increasingly concerning, and we would like to see the Government invest in some robust research into this.
“Young people who are addicted to devices do need to have their addiction acknowledged, and they need to be supported.”
The Paediatric Society of New Zealand also endorsed the research.