The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report has confirmed that virtual school hurts the mental well-being and stability of children in comparison to school that takes place in person.
The CDC surveyed over 1,200 parents with children aged between 5 and 12 years old, and they noted that virtual learners and their parents scored higher on 11 of the 17 stress indicators, which measures factors such as the mental health of children, levels of physical activity and the emotional distress of the parents.
The research was conducted during Oct. 8 and Nov. 13, 2020, and 1,290 parents participated in the CDC survey. 45.7 percent of parents said that their children were engaging in online-only classes, and only 31 percent had started attending in-person classes at that time. 92.9 percent of participants confirmed they had children enrolled in public schools.
The lockdowns are having profoundly negative mental and physical effects on children. 62.9 percent of children engaged in virtual learning reported having decreased physical activity while only 30.3 percent of children going to in-person school have decreased physical activity. Children attending in-person classes score higher in other key metrics as well. Read more…
