Jerry Tamanna Tamim & Tasnim Tabassum Munmun:
Tonmoy, is a student of class 8 at Adamjee Cantonment School. Despite growing up in a joint family, nowadays he does not go to his grandparents’ or even his parents’ room.
He is very busy with his online class and assignments. After a while, his parents start to realize that their child should have spent his childhood in playgrounds. Day by day, he is addicted to games, online hangouts, and television series. Although not realized practically, the media dependency of students has increased since the lockdown on March 18, 2020. Recently, a survey of ten students at Dhaka reveals that the majority of the guardians believe that their children have been dependent on media due to online classes. It also shows that most of the class attendees failed to interact with their relatives.
Moreover, students demand their smartphones as an excuse for online classes. As a result, they gain easy access to Facebook and other social media. Parents often complain about not being able to monitor their children most of the time.
A parent named Kamrun Nahar said, “My son led a disciplined life before. Nevertheless, his gaming addiction has increased so much due to online class that he stays on the computer or smartphone even after completing his class.” In the past, children used to have plans with their parents during vacations, which has changed during the online class era. Chairperson, Department of Communication Disorder at the University of Dhaka Touhida Jahan said, “Many students have complained about online classes because on several occasions they do not understand their lessons. Other times they miss significant parts due to network difficulties.”
She also added, “Addiction to devices initiated from online classes cannot be diminished instantly; counseling is required for a steady recovery. Students should be explained that although the decision is made during a national crisis, they must try hard to concentrate on social relationships. It is recommended that kids avoid looking at screens for more than twenty minutes at a time and take breaks three to four times a day by closing their eyes. Computers or tablets can be used with adequate lighting instead of smartphones so that their eyes are not damaged by harmful rays.
“Besides, build habits to exercise, play board games, or even pass time on the roof of your home. Since COVID-19 is not going to be extinct soon, to continue educational activities during this kind of situation, online classes should be included in mainstream education.”
We have learned that most of the students attend their classes in google classroom, google meet, and zoom. Sometimes Facebook is also used for educational purposes. There are normally five days of online classes a week.
However, students’ tendency to use new devices during online classes has increased. Therefore, they have to look at screens for long times and as a result, complexity in eyes, backbones, and ears have been common these days among students.
Marzia Farian Filza, a student of an English medium school said that she spends almost twelve hours a day online besides four hours of the online class. Although she does not have a Facebook account, she passes most of her time on YouTube. Besides, she has been communicating with her friends in video-call, internet games, or online messengers.
A teacher of Moniza Rahman Girls School & College, Noor-E-Tabassum, said, “Online class has the advantage of taking or attending class at home. The education system would have confronted a blockade if Online Class could not be arranged during the Covid-19 pandemic.” She also added, “But as a teacher, I would say that students often lose their attention during online classes. In my opinion, practical education is difficult with online classes because there is less interaction between teacher and student.”
At times, sports can be played whenever there is time for socialization. Dr. Helal Uddin said, “Although some students are getting addicted to electronic devices, some still are interacting with their families. Therefore, to improve socialization, online drama, online music, and even educational entertainment should be improvised by the authority. Since students are passing a greater amount of time online, the authority should take decisions considering their mental conditions.”
He also said, “Many parents complain that their children do not interact well with their relatives or are not interested to maintain social relations due to addiction to online games. My suggestion for them is to play online games with their children. It would help them to get closer with them and divert them from this technology dependency.”
*This report was produced as part of a women journalists’ mentorship programme organised by DW Akademie