We live in an age during which technology is making rapid advances. E-readers, iPads, smartphones, and social networks are staples in our daily lives, keeping us connected more than ever before. Education has not remained unaffected by this trend. Technology
promises to improve and streamline the way we teach and learn, but by boarding the train of all things technologic
al, are we perhaps putting our children’s and our own physical health at risk?
According to a 2004 survey conducted by
Statistics Canada, 26% of children and adolescents aged 2-17 were overweight or obese and the likelihood of
falling into these categories increased along with time spent watching T.V., playing video games, or using the computer. This figure is 70% higher than the last time it was
directly measured in 197
8/79 when time spent using
technolog
y was quite notably less. A 2008 study of elementary school children followed 709 children, logging their screen time as well as monitoring physical activity using a pedometer.
Children who exceeded two hours of screen time per day were 1.22-1.69 times more likely to be overweight than ch
ildren who did not, and when
coupled with not meeting physical activity recommendations, that statistic rose to 3-4.5 times more likely (Laurson et al.). Screen time is highly correlated with a likelihood of being overweight.
Not only this, but Mark and Janssen (2008) found that increased screen time correlated with higher risk of metabolic syndrome in adolescents - a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes such as high blood pressure, high triglyceri
des, and high fasting blood glucose levels. Adolescents who spent three hours per day in front of a screen were twice as likely to have metabolic syndrome as those who only spent one hour and those who spent five hours were three times as likely.
On top of these heightened risks, a 2005 study by Hakala et al. showed that the more time adolescents spent using computers, watching television, playing video games, and using cell phones, the higher the incidence of neck/shoulder pain as well as lower back pain. Similarly, in a review of literature done by Ijmker et al. (2006), it was found that mouse and keyboard use is moderately correlated with hand and arm pain after a certain number of hours of use (that number is not totally agreed upon). Considering that many sources have pegged the average adolescent’s screen time at 4-6 hours per day, all of these health concerns are quite valid in our current situation (cbc.ca, kidshealth.org).
See the 2010 Canadian physical activity report card here:
The health risks associated with high levels of technology use are serious, but easily avoidable - just limit screen time. The problem arises when North American culture’s preoccupation (sometimes bordering on obsession) with technology and ultra-connectedness means most adolescents fall i
nto this at-risk category. Most of the statistics regarding average time spent in front of a screen every day do not take screen time at work or school, or even doing homework into account; 4-6 hours per day means 4-6 recreational hours. Now, technology is wonderfully useful for a great many things. Its purpose is to make our lives easier or more convenient, or to enable us to do things we could not do before.
This applies in the field of education as well. Technology provides us with extremely useful teaching and learning tools, which need not be listed here, and students may connect to material more easily when presented using these modes, but what is the cost? Students who are asked to do their homework online may now be spending more time, over and above their 4-6 recreational hours,
in front of a screen. This could quickly increase the risk for significant health issues due to inactivity and problems with ergonomics. As stated earlier, 26% of Canadian children and adolesce
nts are overweight or obese, and largely due to lifestyle. This means that 26% of the adolescent population has a higher risk of early mortality. How much higher could that statistic rise if teachers move largely to homework and teaching by electronic means? On top of this, we could look at the unmeasurable effects of technology in education. North American culture is technology-obsessed. Twitter, Facebook, smartphones, and constantly-evolving television and gaming systems have people in front of screens all day long. Overuse of technology in the classroom adds to this obsession.
Of course, the message cannot be that technology and innovation should be forsaken. What would become of human progress? No, teachers and parents simply need to be cognizant of the health risks associated with large amounts of technology usage and use it wisely. The responsibility for regulating technology use should probably fall mostly to parents; after all, if adolescents spent significantly less recreational time in front of the screen, using technology for education may not be such a big deal. As it is, teachers and parents should work together to ensure that students use technology for an appropriate amount of time to avoid the health risks as well as to gain the benefits of technology in education.
References
Hakala, P. T., Rimpela, A. H., et al (2005). Frequent computer-related activities increase the risk of neck–shoulder and low back pain in adolescents. European Journal of Public Health, 16 (5). Retrieved from http://www.eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/5/536.full.
Ijmker, S., Huysmans, M. A., Blatter, B. M. et al (2007). Should office workers spend fewer hours at their computer? A systematic review of the literature. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 64. Retrieved from http://www.oem.bmj.com/content/64/4/211.full.pdf.
Laurson, K. R., Eisenmann, J. C. et al (2008). Combined Influence of Physical Activity and Screen Time Recommendations on Childhood Overweight. The Journal of Pediatrics, 153. Retrieved from http://eisenmann.wiki.educ.msu.edu/file/view/2008_TV_PA_Peds.pdf.
Mark, A. E., Janssen, I. (2008). Relationship between screen time and metabolic syndrome in adolescents. Journal of Public Health, 30 (2). Retrieved from http://www.jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/2/153.full.
Shields, M. (2004).Measured Obesity: Overweight Canadian children and adolescents. Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey – Overweight Canadian children and adolescents. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-620-m/2005001/pdf/4193660-eng.pdf.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/10/28/screen-time-tv-computer-preschool.html
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html
