Health Concerns Among Students Due To Online Classes And An Unconventional Method Of Pedagogy
- by Abin George
- a year ago
- 467

Various
school and college students are
completing their education by staying home and 'attending classes' at their
respective institutions sitting inside the four walls of their houses. While a huge amount of
students seem to be pretty happy with this forced method of teaching, not all
students and their parents are in
favour of such a system of
Pedagogy. Lack of adequate technology and poor or no internet connections are just basic issues
that are faced by many students across the country. But one of the more severe
issues are the 'health concerns' that arise in students while attending online
classes.
Let's
look at some of the severe health issues that students are facing due to these
online classes :
1.
Dreadful Ergonomics :
In most schools, students have to follow a disciplined way of being in
the class which includes sitting on benches and sitting upright. Unlike
classrooms, most students take online classes by slouching on their couches or
beds due to which they aren't bound to
follow a good system of ergonomics while they are at home. Thus, we can see that many students have been
suffering from joint pains, back pains or fibromyalgia pains. Constant practice
of such poor ergonomics can lead to chronic pains for students in the future.
2. Obesity and Unhealthy weight
gain : Lack of physical activities clubbed with unhealthy junk food rises
the risk of students gaining deleterious weight and turning obese. Restricted
movement and binge eating are turning students into couch potatoes.
Without exercise, the muscle mass will
reduce rapidly and the students will gain unhealthy fat in their bodies. This
will hamper their growth and make them extremely injury prone. Obesity can then
lead to life-threatening illnesses like heart problems, diabetes and even
cancer.
3. Eye-Strains due to devices :
Looking into the screens of computers and
mobile phones can cause damage to the eyes of children. The 'blue light'
emitted by these devices can cause 'visual noise' and result in severe eye
problems. According to a study conducted by the National Eye Institute,
children are more susceptible to these blue lights and can result in strained
red eyes.
A study conducted in 2020,
testing responses from student volunteers found that with six to seven
hours of visual exposure the “spectral profile of light emitted by the screens
of various devices impacts on circadian
physiology,cognitive performance and alertness”.
4.
Anxiety and Depression in Students :
Schools are not just centres of education
but a social sphere where students could Connect with their peers, communicate
with their teachers and maintain a personal social life for their well-being .
But this has become a challenge when all these interactions occur remotely.
Isolation has created mental and emotional
pressure amongst students. Sleep deprivation and insomnia is a common
phenomenon in students today. The inability to interact with others makes them
prone to anxiety. It deteriorates the mental stability of a child, eventually
leading to decreased academic achievement and even to Depression.
5.
Prone to physical Injuries :
Recently, the number of injuries in students has increased
significantly due to trivial injuries or
due to hyperactivity and desperation of being isolated within the four walls of
their houses. Children want to get
outdoors and play but their fitness is
quite poor due to the lockdown.
Apart from this lack of exposure to
sunlight and an unbalanced diet also contributes to the deficiency of Calcium and
Vitamin D in the bodies. Muscle cramps, tissue tears, spasms and strains
are quite common when a child has such
deficiencies in their diet.
Online classes have been significant in
ensuring that students get their valuable education while staying indoors and
fighting against the pandemic. But, there are huge health hazards associated
with this form of pedagogy. New and innovative practices should be encouraged
amongst students to reduce the risk of these health problems until the pandemic
is over and we conduct classes conventionally.