Effects of Virtual Learning on Children’s mental health and its Solutions

COVID-19 has dramatically changed our lives and children getting impacted by it the most. The pandemic led many schools to cancel in-person classes and graduation ceremonies and continue virtual learning to continue education in a safe environment. Online essay writer has become the new age of the education system for students. Students and teachers had a hard time adjusting to the new lifestyle. 

Remote learning was the safest option to keep students and teachers safe, but online learning on the other hand is creating some serious damage to the mental health of the children. In today’s blog post, we will share some details on how virtual learning is affecting the mental health of students.

• Lack of social interaction

The biggest problem with virtual learning is the lack of social interaction. Even adults are feeling isolated and stressed due to lockdown so you can only imagine the condition of children. The solitary life does not suit them considering the amount of time they used to spend with their friends during the recess period, activities, and while playing outside. But considering the condition of the virus, there was no better option. 

Even before the quarantine, we already knew how much social isolation could exuberate mental health conditions in children. This issue was applied even during homeschooling before the pandemic, but they fulfilled the need for socializing by taking music or dance lessons, participating in sports, etc. 

 We might not be able to make them stop feeling lonely but we can minimize it by giving them the option of joining a zoom meeting, play multiplayer games or have a digital watch party. For now, they are the best we can do to minimize the effects of loneliness.

• Unsafe households

I had many friends in my school year who confided in me how much they like going to school as staying at home due to a difficult home environment was torture to them. But due to lockdown, students are stuck in an unsafe home environment with their abusive parents. School provides a safe refuge from abusive family members or unsafe situations at home. But how to resolve this issue? In this condition, regular in-person schooling is not at all possible. The best way of resolving this issue is by treating its symptoms. Encourage children to talk with their peers. It is also essential to report any abuse you see students are facing. 

• Increased stress and anxiety

A lot of students are feeling anxiety while keeping up to date with their school work. They are also facing a hard time concentrating or staying focused at home. There can be a lot of reasons for feeling stressed,

• Constant updates on the news of people dying due to the virus
• A family member or a friend affected by the virus
• Not having access to internet or laptop due to financial problem in families
• Being in front of a video can also lead to its own anxieties
• Facing difficulties with finding the extra education support they need

• Virtual learning fatigue

Spending days after days full of video interactions can be mentally draining and the reason is our minds are unable to process and retain information in the new process. They were used to in-person interactions where a number of cues helped their brain process faster. These cues are:

• Facial expressions
• Eye contact
• Tone and pitch of voice
• Body language

Since it is difficult to pick up on these cues, the brain is working harder to try interpreting the information which is resulting in extra mental fatigue. Along with this, the consciousness of being on-camera in front of people is raising the stress level among children.

• Lack of resources

Due to the closure of campus libraries, students have limited sources of collecting materials for their homework or assignments. This is also causing a lot of stress among students. Not every student knows the right places to get resources online which are leading them to include wrong information. This is because they are no expert in identifying credible websites. Unavailability of proper resources is leading students to seek essay help frequently.

How to Tackle the Situation?

We do not know how long the viruses will is going to stay on earth, but that does not mean we let them affect our little ones. Lockdown is necessary to stop the spread of the virus and we all are aware of that. Since we cannot change that, we might as well try these things to ensure our little ones are not getting affected by the quarantine life.

• Parents and educators should encourage children to try their hands in crafts or activities like dancing or playing an instrument or anything they like to do. This will help them cope with emotions like aggression, anxiety, or sadness.
• Parents are urged to involve and show an interest in their day-to-day activities. Build and maintain a routine for the children so that they don’t feel lost and also stay disciplined at the same time.
• Teachers should be a little bit more attentive to how the students are doing, educate them about mental health, and support them in whatever they need. You can also give them some fun activities to do at home.
• Create a quiet space for your children to study. Also, ask them to change their study areas once in a while so that they do not get bored.
• Make sure you limit the screen time for children since they are already spending a lot of time during online learning.
• Make sure they are following a regular sleep schedule and proper eating habits. Encourage them to exercise or do yoga with you. You can also take them for walks or bike rides while maintaining appropriate social distance from others.
• Amidst all the stress, it is important to set a positive time inside the house. Maintain healthy conversation around them and keep them away from a constant news report of deaths. Children look up to you so it is important to provide hopefulness and encouragement. 

SUMMING UP, 

Staying within four walls for 24*7 every day is not easy for children. This is a prime age of playing with friends and socializing with people. Considering the current situation, there is nothing to do. But if teachers, parents, and education policymakers learn about the common concerns, educate themselves, make discussion, and take actions accordingly, long-term effects of the pandemic can be avoided.

AUTHOR BIO: Dorothy Parker is a professional child psychologist and she has written several articles on mental awareness of children. She is also a part of MyAssignmenthelp.com where she offers psychological essay assignment help solutions to students.