INCREASED SCREEN TIME IS A WORRY SOCIAL SKILLS ARE BEING HAMPERED
Actor Hiten Tejwani, father to 11-year-old twins Katya and Neevan, points out the lack of discipline in study-from-home model. “Things are too relaxed. Kids get up like five minutes before their school time, and just go and sit in front of the laptops. They’re frustrated now. My son told me he’s dying to get back to school,” says Tejwani, sounding extremely concerned about the number of hours the children are spending in front of their devices. “Earlier, they would use laptops only for projects. Now they are in front of their screens almost the entire day,” he says.
Actor Rajesh Tailang, whose son, Aryaditya, is in Class eight, says that parents were already dealing with the issue of screen time and it has only increased now. “We can’t even say anything because it’s school work. Now, they don’t step out to play, so they are interacting with friends virtually, too,” he shares.
Due to prolonged home schooling, some parents are also worried about the overall development of their kids, beyond just textbook education.
Actor Chhavi Mittal, whose daughter, Areeza, is in grade two, says the education method can only work when the child is doing real-time interaction with their teachers and peers. “That’s not happening now. My daughter is in this crucial stage where it’s important to learn basic life skills. She needs interaction and personality development and for that socialising is very important,” she explains. Actor Rajesh Tailang adds in agreement that education is not just about gathering information. “It’s also about interacting with other children and your surroundings. If the interaction is not real, then there’s no point. Going to school was a whole ritual. That helps in the overall development of a child. My son used to share food with his classmates. They develop social skills as well,” he says.