VIJAYAWADA: Risk-Benefit Ratio is not in favour of the children staying at home and attending online classes, say experts, expressing concern over the children losing their edge in this competitive world by not attending physical classes.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr Vishal Indla, Chief Psychiatrist, Indlas VIMHANS Hospital, Vijayawada, said there has been a 40 per cent increase in the children coming to them with behavioural issues and online addiction, compared to the pre-pandemic times.
“Parents are hesitating to take the risk of sending their children to school out of Covid fear, but they are not looking at the greater damage done to their children by not sending them to school and opting for online classes. There is an increasing chance of children developing defiance, anger and frustration due to lack of proper discipline which is inculcated in school, daily routine, lack of socialising and physical activity,” he explained.
Dr Vishal said in several cases that are coming to psychiatrists not only in Vijayawada or other parts of the state but also across the country, it was found that online classes that are happening for the last two years due to the pandemic have made the children lazy. They also bring down the concentration level of children. “Compared to physical classes, online classes have several disadvantages. Students will be bereft of disciplined education, extra-curricular and physical activities.
Most importantly, lack of concentration has been observed,” he said. In some cases, it was found that students were not paying attention to the class and had engaged in some other activities like surfing the internet in another window or playing games during online classes.
“High school students were found taking advantage of the technology to create videos of themselves attending the classes, by nodding their head from time to time and posting the same on online classes, while they were engaged in some other activities. Though this proves children are smart, it was being used in a wrong way,” he said.
Dr Vishal said earlier, college students used to come for counselling for behavioural issues and lack of concentration, but during the Covid pandemic, even students of sixth standard were seen at psychiatrist clinics with the same complaints. It was also observed that online students have changed the pattern of sleeping, bathing, eating, in fact every aspect of daily routine. “This will seriously affect health, as biological rhythm will go for a toss. My sincere suggestion is parents should lead by example and not change their own routine citing work from home as a reason,” he said.
He suggested that the parents send their children to physical classes for their own good and in case it is not possible for various reasons, they should ensure that children take their online classes in open rooms where elders are present instead of isolated places where no one knows what they are doing.
The Maharashtra government has made attending physical classes compulsory from today, he said and appreciated the AP government’s policy to continue classes.
