Educators urge schools to teach digital health, hygiene
Educators at a Chennai conclave recommend teaching digital health and literacy in schools, with monthly hygiene classes and age-based screen-time limits.
Educators and mental health experts gathered in Chennai on Wednesday for a conclave titled “The New School of Thought: Rethinking Learning, Reimagining Leadership, Shaping a New Generation” and made a strong case for making digital health and digital literacy core components of the school curriculum. They also recommended that schools organise dedicated classes on digital hygiene at least once a month.
The discussions spanned the role of teachers and parents in shaping children’s digital habits and reading patterns, as well as the challenges posed by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Lakshmi Vijayakumar, founder of SNEHA and head of the Department of Psychiatry at VHS, advised that children up to the age of seven should be kept away from digital exposure entirely. From age 12 onwards, she suggested guided exposure with clear controls. She stressed that teachers and parents must be aligned on these boundaries. “Technology itself is not bad, but what it replaces could be. If it replaces family time, interaction with friends, and playtime, then it would do more harm to the child,” she said.
Ramya Venkataraman, founder and CEO of the Centre for Teacher Accreditation, noted that with the rise of AI and growing investments in the sector, educators will inevitably have to engage with the technology. She emphasised the need to draw boundaries and understand where technology can genuinely add value. “A teacher who is able to do this will remain relevant,” she observed.
Sridhar Aranala, Chief Sales and Distribution Officer at The Hindu Group, pointed to the decline in reading habits among children and shrinking attention spans as a fresh challenge for the newspaper industry. He said the content offered to young readers must be compelling enough to hold their interest, adding that The Hindu Group’s publications, including In School and Young World, are designing content with these considerations in mind.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by M. Thiyagarajan, General Manager – Sales and Distribution at The Hindu Group.