Support for best practices for digital device use in schools grows
Parents Across America-Roanoke Valley leader, Laura Bowman, shared the following email with Virginia Delegates who are considering a bill on best practices for digital device use in public schools. As the use of digital devices in schools continues to grow at unprecedented rates, it’s vitally important that the parent voice is heard when it comes to the healthy and safe use of these devices by children.
“On the Communications Subcommittee docket tomorrow morning, you will see Delegate Hope’s House Bill 817. Parents across the state are grateful to Delegate Hope for listening to their voices of reason and concern.
HB 817: Department of Education; Department of Health; guidelines for use of digital devices in public schools. Requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Health and medical professional societies, to develop and implement health and safety best practice guidelines for the use of digital devices in public schools no later than the 2021 – 2022 school year.
There is growing and warranted concern for children’s health and safety due to the over-use of digital devices. Some incorrectly maintain that not all screen time is equal, and if it’s being implemented for educational purposes, we need not be concerned for the safety and well-being of children. The problem is this: The eyes and body don’t differentiate between content that’s deemed educational and content that’s deemed entertainment.
Regardless of content, there are health risks posed to children when using digital devices. One of these is myopia linked to excessive screen time.
According to this report by the Keck School of Medicine at USC: “The largest study of childhood eye disease CONTINUE READING: Support for best practices for digital device use in schools grows | Parents Across America