Screen time: reading, benefits and drawbacks
Screen time is the time we spend looking at a phone, a computer, a television or a game screen. Screens are useful for learning, for finding information and for talking to people who are far away, and they are also a source of entertainment. A drawback is that too much time can tire the eyes and leave less time for physical activity (moving the body) and sleep. Health experts, people with deep knowledge of the subject, do not say that screens are bad: they say that we need balance, the right amount of study, fun, rest and movement. Many health guidelines suggest limits, but the right amount depends on a person’s age and needs, so ask a parent or a doctor and make a plan that works for you. When you read an information text, find the benefits and the drawbacks in two lists. Your book has a text about screen time on page 60: read it after this lesson and make the same two lists. Here we practise with our own text.
| Benefits of screens | Drawbacks of too much screen time |
|---|---|
| help us to learn and find information | tire the eyes |
| let us talk to family far away | leave less time for physical activity and sleep |
| give us entertainment | can take our attention away from other things |
In our class survey, thirty students told us how they use screens after school. Eighteen of them said that they mostly use a screen for homework, and the rest use it mainly for entertainment, such as films and games. Experts say that screens can be very useful: they help us to learn, to find information and to talk to family far away. However, many health guidelines suggest limits, because too much time on a screen can tire the eyes and leave less time for physical activity and sleep. Experts do not say that screens are bad. They say that we need balance: time for study, time for fun and time to move and rest. In our class, the students who played sport and read books as well as using screens said that they felt more energetic.
Balance wheel. Draw a circle and divide it into four parts: study, fun on screens, physical activity, rest and sleep. Colour how much time you give to each part on a school day. Show it to a grown-up and decide together if one part needs a little more time.