The Realities of Screen Time in Online School

September 16, 2022 byConnections Academy

5 min to read

Online school student attending virtual school

Screens are a part of everyday life. As a caregiver, you’ve likely spent years ensuring your children manage their screen time appropriately. After all, too much screen time can be detrimental to children’s mental and physical health. But with the rise of alternative learning options such as online school, many parents are asking: Is all screen time the same?

The short answer is no. Not all screen time is equal. In fact, online school screen time has a number of benefits if delivered properly.

Benefits of Online School Screen Time

Ever since the widespread adoption of the personal computer, screen time at school has been part of the learning experience for most children. In recent years, screens have become even more prevalent with many schools adding laptops, tablets, and even smartphones to the classroom. Then, there’s online school, which takes screens in school a step further, delivering the majority of the school experience over a computer.

Does increasing a child’s screen time for online school pose a problem given that children already spend lots of time on screens watching shows, playing games, and chatting with friends? It’s a question many parents have—and years of data on online learning provides an answer.

While many students only recently experienced online school, it is not a new concept. Connections Academy®, for example, has more than 20 years of online school experience. Thanks to this experience, education experts have a good understanding of how online school screen time affects—and benefits—students.

1. Positive Learning Outcomes

As previously mentioned, not all screen time is the same. For years, researchers have known that educational programming delivered on a screen can help children learn and even improve behavior, literacy, and cognitive skills.

The usefulness of educational programming begins in its design. If it’s centered on learning principles and asks children to interact with the program, it can help children gain new knowledge and develop new skills.

Online school operates on similar principles. Except, online school takes those principles to the next level. At a high-quality online school like Connections Academy, lessons are highly interactive and engage students throughout the learning experience. Similarly, LiveLesson® sessions allow students to interact with one another and their teacher in an environment that promotes curiosity, exploration, and discovery.

2. Problem-Solving Skills

Online school isn’t a worksheet or a lecture delivered over a screen. It’s a learning experience specifically designed to be online. That allows K–12 online schools to take full advantage of the dynamic nature of digital environments.

Research has shown that complex digital interactions, like strategic video games, can help children improve their problem-solving skills. High-quality online schools tap into the same phenomenon through lessons that utilize the advantages of digital experiences. Where a traditional lesson may offer students only one course to follow, an online lesson can allow them to explore multiple paths, teaching them to look at new information from different angles and think about problems holistically.

Through its digital nature, online school is able to keep all types of learners more engaged and thus more focused on their coursework. This increases students’ ability to master new knowledge and then apply that knowledge to papers, group projects, and other assignments that require students to use and grow their problem-solving skills.

In other words, the online learning process challenges students in effective ways, giving them the space to think critically, build perseverance, and improve their ability to adapt—all thanks to online delivery and the use of screens.

3. Digital Literacy

Digital technology is now so ubiquitous that business experts consider digital literacy to be a foundational skill for anyone who wants to succeed in the years ahead. But digital literacy goes far beyond simply knowing how to use a digital device. True digital literacy is about being able to move smoothly through a digital world.

Screen time in schools ensures students develop digital literacy. From navigating the school’s online learning environment to conducting research online, to joining virtual clubs and meeting new friends across their screens, students in online schools immerse themselves in a modern, digital environment.

Best of all, students don’t just become comfortable with digital technologies; they learn to be productive in digital spaces. It’s a skill that will serve them well in their future. And it’s a skill that UNICEF says too few children are gaining. But, for online school students, digital literacy comes with the territory.

An online school family setting parameters around screen time at school.

Best Practices for Online School Screen Time

Even with all the advantages of online school screen time, it’s helpful to manage your child’s screen usage. As with most things, moderation matters. Fortunately, there are some easy-to-follow screen time recommendations for schools that provide online learning. These include:

Create a screen-friendly environment. You can help your child learn better and avoid eye strain by properly setting up their learning space. This includes keeping the room dimmer than the screen, turning down the screen’s brightness, keeping the screen 20-30 inches away from your child, making sure the screen is set at a high resolution, and adjusting the screen so the top is just below your child’s eye level.
Encourage frequent breaks. At an online school like Connections Academy, students can take advantage of a flexible schedule. Rather than attending classes back-to-back, they can space out their daily learning in a way that works best for them and allows them to spend time away from the screen.
Work with your child to set parameters. As a caregiver, you can have a significant impact on your child’s digital life. Sit down with them to discuss how much screen time they need for school and decide how much additional screen time they will be allowed to use for TV, games, and other entertainment. You can also set aside fun activities that involve the whole family, making sure everyone gets some time away from their screens. Fortunately, online school provides the flexibility to set up a schedule that works best for you and your child.

Screens are ubiquitous in the modern world. It’s no longer if your child will use a screen, it’s when and for what.

For parents and students looking to get the most out of screen time, online school can be a fantastic choice. To learn more about online school and why it might be right for your family, check out our article “Online School vs. Traditional School.”