Recently, they hot topic in class has been a game called “Fortnight” or similar. Pupils are admitting that they are trying to pull “all nighters” without their parents knowing, some even claim to get up at 5.30 to play each other on line and many are spending fortunes on parent bank cards without permission.
I have had a few parents speak to me about their concerns relating to this obsession but also the language that pupils are using to converse with each other over phones/headsets while playing. Some pupils are coming to school red eyed, tired and really distracted and when spoken to they are blaming too much screen time but are reluctant to stop. Mrs Donnelly has advised that ALL parents be made aware of this.
While we do not wish to tell you how your child should spend their free time, we would like you to support is in promoting healthy lifestyles and good sleep hygiene which is not promoted by too much screen time. If pupils are overstimulated and tired, it has been proven that this has severe effects on learning and concentration.
Most difficulties that arise in school come from social media or gaming and we ask for your support in this matter. We conducted a survey in P7 about screen time….there are some surprising results e.g. 52% of pupils s[end 5+ hours on a screen (Not inc T.V.) each day! (click the link below)
When speaking to specialists, some recommendations are:
- Turn off the Wifi at a set time each night (be strong!)
- No screens in bed rooms
- Appropriate down time at least 2 hours before sleep
- Passwords for all consoles, phones, tablets should be shared with you.
For more information please see below for some guidance:
https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/feature/digital-home/how-much-screen-time-for-kids-3520917/
