Thread by @SunriseDances

This following thread is in response the book ‘Glow Kids’ (Dr. Nicholas Kardaras) it outlines the potential damage done to children when exposed to screens. I urge policy makers to halt the dependence on digital learning. We are doing untoward harms. #UsforThem #GlowKids 1/

One year ago schools globally rolled out online ‘learning’. Despite being told for years screens were bad for children’s development this was seen as ‘the’ solution. 2/

No health and safety assessments have been done (as far as I have seen) ranging from ergonomics ie. physical harms to sitting at a desk all day leaning over devices, or damage to eyesight from staring at screens all day 3/

…to known developmental, neurological and psychological harms related to over twenty years of studies done into screen use and children. 4/

Added to this no school district I have heard of has gone through safeguarding with parents/families related to screens. I know of *two* incidents wherein inappropriate content ended up being shared with children during these school sessions. 5/

This is not a failure of teachers/headteachers who are working hard as they can to deliver what asked but policy makers, who as lockdown has gone on have had the opportunity to adapt/create new strategies to support children/families but have doubled down on screen ‘learning’.6/

What I have witnessed (&what is backed by prior research) is that kids who have supportive and secure environments *can* have *some* amplification of learning from these devices. For kids without support and security this possibility is unlikely. And learning gaps widen 7/

There is no substitute for person to person learning, no amount of bells and whistles will change that. We know that. No one will deny that. 8/

Prior to pandemic New York city and Los Angeles spent millions (NY) & billions (LA) rolling out online programs for their large school districts w/the idea it was going to revolutionise learning. Guess what? It didn’t. They ended up scrapping the whole thing. 9/

We know screens are addictive, we can see in ourselves ( if you are reading this you are probably like me also addicted...) how these devices are designed to pull us in. Using screens gives us a big dopamine hit - it's digital cocaine...for kids this hit is more damaging 10/

We are told children need to become ‘digitally literate’ to keep up. This is nonsense. This technology is designed to be picked up easily. What CANNOT be regained is the very vital developmental brain processes that ONLY happen in childhood. 11/

This is related to interacting with the physical world, with using the body, and building relationships. 12/

In the past year there has been a sharp increase in psychotic disorders in PRIMARY school children- a 43% increase referral to CAMHS (child mental health service). We have created a system that is crippling a whole generation of children. 13/

No amount of resilience is going to make recovery easy if we continue on this trajectory. /14

Policy makers need to recognise that more investment is NOT needed in online resources, but in HUMAN REAL-TIME ones. Full time school, face to face (maskless) teaching, outdoor activities whenever possible. And FUN. 15/

Reliance on screens can neurologically damage the developing brain of a child, we cannot come back from that. 16/

In my own community I know many who are suffering. Kids who are depressed, with severe anxiety, anger issues, self harm & the list goes on… none of this was evident a year ago. 17/

How can we continue this trajectory when it continues to harm so many? We need to be more creative and visionary. 18/

Thanks to the teachers who are working so hard despite this madness. I hope we, together, can find a better path. #UsForThem @UsForThemScotl1 #GlowKids 19/

@threadreaderapp unroll please