The global lock-down, forcing the students to go online for classes and staying at home with parents, has made a positive impact on the physical and mental health of children, say studies emerging from different places.
The best part of the quarantine was that the students are no more stressed with heavy school bags, tight schedules, bullying, loads of homeworks and lack of time to relax, it is said.
“I know I am less stressed because I feel happier, more organized, and I am doing things I enjoy doing,” says one student in one of the reports.
She says her school stress is reduced with online classes just 2 days a week, no tests or quizzes, and no worries about being late to class. Her schedule is now far more open, too.
Like Grace, many students have also found more time for sleeping and they can wake up late, without the pressure of parents yelling at them early morning and forcing them into the shower. The students also are free from extra-curricular activities like dance, flute, and band etc. Instead, they find time to mess up in the kitchen, play online games, talk to parents and grandparents and connect with friends through social media.
The psychologists say that students have found a balance between the studies and the rest. One more important thing is that they found more time with the parents who are also at home due to lock-down.
“There are clearly both positive and negative health impacts on kids and teens as a result of staying home this long,” says Tim Kearney, PhD, chief behavioral health officer at Community Health Center, a statewide organization based in Middletown, in the US.
“Some are experiencing lots of benefits, including reduced stress, increased creativity and outside time, and more family together time, while others are experiencing a rise in negatives, including an increase in hunger, domestic violence, and child abuse,” Kearney says. “Those who were higher-risk before the pandemic are at even higher risk now.”
Peter Gray, PhD, a research professor in the Department of Psychology at Boston College, has written several articles since the start of the quarantine calling the pandemic the “course correction” kids in the U.S. desperately needed to play, learn, and simply have fun.
