Guest Post By Jessica Robinson

Thanks to technology, your child’s education, and learning did not get interrupted by the pandemic. While schools remain closed, learning continues to thrive via digital modes. Besides, the trend of online learning is getting more and more popular with time. According to the latest e-learning statistics, more than 63 percent of school students use online learning tools every day. That means that for most of the day, your child is glued to the screen. While online learning has myriad benefits, the digital fatigue and stress caused are for real. In this blog, we look at some effective ways that you can utilize to help your child deal with digital fatigue. Before that, let us try to understand what digital fatigue actually means.

What is digital fatigue and why is it important to address it?

Nowadays, people are always found engaged in various digital applications and gadgets. As per the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children between the ages 8 and 12 spend an average of four to six hours a day on the screen. Talking of teenagers, the screen time of teenagers in the US is up to 9 hours. So, as you can see, for a large part of the day, people of all ages are exposed to the screens of various gadgets. But this uprising of technology for sure has downsides to be addressed. Digital fatigue is one of them and your child may need help with it.

In simple terms, you can understand digital fatigue as the state of mental exhaustion that is a consequence of prolonged exposure to the screen. This mental exhaustion can further lead to disengagement in children. Hence, it affects the interest of students in learning and also makes them vulnerable to stress. So, the issue of rising stress in school students now also takes into account the mental tiredness caused by gadgets. Needless to say, for the holistic growth of your child and overall wellness, it is vital to address this issue. To be able to help your child, you should know what symptoms of digital fatigue look like. Here is a quick glance at the signs of digital fatigue.

Symptoms of digital fatigue

1. Frequent headaches
2. Unusual sensitivity to light
3. Exhibition of irrational and annoying behavior
4. Burning sensation in the eyes
5. Pain in the neck, back, or shoulders

If you see any of these signs in your child, it may be hinting at the tiredness caused by being indulged in gadgets the entire day. This fatigue can upset your child and trigger violent behaviors at times. Academic stress can in fact be one of the reasons why kids hit themselves in anger. That coupled with digital fatigue can make things even worse. The next thing you would be wondering is that how can you help your child to overcome digital fatigue. For that, the following effective strategies can prove to be extraordinarily helpful.

How to help your child battle the growing digital fatigue

1. Help your child create a productive time table

In contemporary times, a lot has changed about the way education is conducted. But time tables are still among the most effective tools for mastering planning and time management. One great way to help your child is to help him with his timetable or tweak his timetable. You should include small breaks in your child’s timetable and associate something or the other with each break slot. This can involve a small walk, yoga, or simple relaxation by putting the gadgets away. In this way, your child will be able to manage his digital fatigue better. Different physical activities intervening in remote learning sessions will promote wholesome wellness.

2. Encourage your child to make handwritten notes

In today’s era, we cannot choose to ignore remote learning. In fact, remote learning is the way forward and children need to adapt as soon as possible. But not all verticals of learning need to be carried out via gadgets. When it comes to note-taking, you should encourage your child to use a pen and paper. Technology has made everything insanely convenient for us. We now use devices even for making notes but we need not be that dependent on technology. If children make handwritten notes, they can avoid a certain part of the digital fatigue.

3. Take your child out after he is done with his classes, promote healthy hobbies

The problem is not limited to the fact that children nowadays use gadgets for learning. Even after they are done with their classes and learning activities of the day, they use gizmos for entertainment. Binge-watching is so much in trend these days and youngsters are obsessed with finishing the latest web shows in one go. Or they would engage in video games or surfing things on the internet to relax. They are always engrossed in virtual reality. Little do they know that it only adds to their mental fatigue.

Therefore, when children are done with their learning tasks, you should take them out or send them for hobby classes. These hobby classes can include swimming, dancing, or music, and so on. If your child is keen on fitness, send him for yoga classes or gymming. It is vital that you identify what your child is passionate about and encourage the same. For the time he will be busy pursuing his passion, he will remain away from his gadgets. Of course, this will be feasible when the world leaves behind the ongoing pandemic.

To conclude, it is better you address the problem of mental fatigue in your child now. In times to come, the reliance of children on digital modes is bound to get larger. Besides disengagement in learning, such exhaustion can also cause health issues. While the mounting stress can make mental health fragile, posture problems can have irreparable impacts on physical health. The above strategies to help your child will ensure a timely and worthwhile response to this growing issue.