US CDC study has declared online education ‘dangerous’ for the mental health and wellness of children and parents.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared online education ‘dangerous’ for students and parents. As according to a recently published CDC study, children who received online education or a combination of online and in-person education were at increased risk on 11 out of 17 indicators of child and parental well-being.
The CDC study is based on survey responses that were elicited between October and November 2020 from 1,290 parents with children ages 5 to 12 years old.
The results showed that around 25% of children who received online education or a combination of online and in-person education were reported deteriorated mental and emotional health in comparison to the 16% of children who received only in-person education.
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Moreover, children who received online education or a combination of online and in-person education were also found to be less physically active as they spent less time in outdoor activities with friends and family.
Online Education is “Dangerous” for Students and Parents
On the other hand, parents whose children received only online education or a combination of both online and in-person education reported deteriorated mental and emotional health.
Nearly 54% of parents whose children take online education or a combination of both online and in-person education were reported more emotionally distress in comparison to the 38% of parents whose children received only in-person education.
Whereas, those parents whose children received only online education or a combination of both online and in-person education reported 43% more loss of work, concerns over job stability, child care challenges, conflict between working and providing child care, and difficulty sleeping.
Meanwhile, those children who are receiving only online education or a combination of both online and in-person education, their parents are more likely to experience negative mental, emotional, or physical health outcomes and they may need more support to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
