Lesson video

Hello.

My name is Mrs. Ford.

Welcome to lesson two in our unit, online in the media, harmful contact.

In this lesson, we will learn about the implications of excessive screen time.

We will examine sensible limits and the effects of excessive screen time on our physical and mental wellbeing.

For today's lesson, you will need an exercise book or some paper and a pen.

You may choose to have an alternative colour pen to improve your work following feedback given in this video.

Before you began today's lesson, you will have been asked to complete an introductory quiz.

If you haven't done that yet, I suggest you pause the video pop back out, complete the quiz and then come back to the video.

In today's lesson, we're going to be looking at the impact that screen time can have on our physical well-being.

We will also look at the impact that it has on our mental wellbeing.

We'll complete a reflection.

And then you'll be asked to complete an exit quiz.

So what key words do we need to know for today? Well, what is screen time? Screen time refers to any time spent using a device that has a screen.

This might be a computer, laptop, television, tablets, iPads, smartphones.

Anything that has a screen, the time that you spend using that is classed as screen time.

We're also going to look at this idea of melatonin.

Melatonin is absolutely vital to having a healthy sleep wake cycle.

Some people also refer to it as the sleep hormone.

However, in this is more difficult and the melatonin is disturbed if there is too much blue light used.

When you use a screen, it's exposes you to something called blue light.

White light may look white.

However, it is a mixture of different colours together.

And the blue light in screens stands out more to your brain.

Blue light has smaller wavelengths, goes up and down at smaller intervals than other the colours on the spectrum.

Because it does this, this means that it also has higher energy.

As you move through the light spectrum, and you're going from the blue though down the light spectrum to the red, the wavelengths get longer and less energetic.

If you spend more time looking at blue light, you are taking the smaller and higher energetic wavelengths, and this disturbs the melatonin which is produced help to make you sleep.

Before we get into a lot of the physical and the mental side of this, what's the fuss about screen time? Why are adults constantly telling us to reduce our screen time? I want you to think back through your time and the reasons that you have heard about why people say the extended screen time can be harmful for you? And I want you to make a list of them please.

So I've given you one here, cause I've already mentioned it.

Why screen time can be harmful? Can be your heading for your list.

And the first example of giving you, is because it disrupts your sleep.

I'd like you to pause the video and add to that list.

Now that you've added to that list I would like it to make sure that you keep that less close, because we'll be looking back at it as we work through the rest of the lesson.

So I said, we were going to look first of all, at the impact that screen time can have on our physical wellbeing.

Screen time and your physical wellbeing.

Scientific studies show that excessive use of screen time can increase the risk of somebody being obese.

But how has this been linked to obesity? If you are using a screen-based device, so television, laptop, computer, tablet, phone, you are less likely to been moving around.

You are more likely to be sat down.

And because you are reducing the time you are exercising it will lead to weight gain.

The advice from the NHS is that, children should be completing 60 minutes a day of physical activity.

This means that your heart rate is increased and your breathing rate is increased.

If you are sat down using a device for a good chunk of time, that exercise is reduced.

Children who are using screens are more likely to eat a less healthy diet and are less likely to stop eating when they are full.

If you are watching the television or you are watching something on your tablet, while you are eating your meal, you are less likely to notice those signs that your, then your stomach tells you, you're full, you can stop now.

Also too much blue light can affect your sleep patterns.

Studies show that lack of sleep leads to an increase in calorie intake the next day.

When you are tired, you are more likely for your body to search for extra energy reserves.

And people tend to eat more when they are doing this.

I want you to think about today when you've had more screen time than usual.

How much exercise did you also complete in that day? Did you choose to entertain more exercise when you come off the screen to catch up with the lack of movement over the time you have been on the screen? Did you think, right, I've been sat down for an hour now, doing my schoolwork.

I'm going to go outside and go for a run, or play on the trampoline or go to the park and have a run around to catch up with that time that you've been sat down.

Pause the video and have a think about those two things, please.

If you're on a screen during your lunch time, what kind of foods are you more likely to choose to eat? Are you picking on things like crests? Are you choosing fruits? Are you picking up sandwiches? Are you choosing a healthy meal? Are you eating mindfully, when you are tasting the food? Do you know what you are eating? Are you taken in the senses? The smell of the food, the taste of the food, the texture of the food.

Are you enjoying it or are you just eating because your parents or carers have told you to eat something at this time? And do you know when you are full if you are on the screen? Pause the video and have a think about those too, please.

If you're tired, are you as person more likely to opt for healthy meals and snacks? Or unhealthy meals and snacks? And why do you think that is? Pause the video again and have a think please.

Right.

We're going to reflect now.

So I want you to get back that list that we started at the lesson.

And I want you to add any new learning to your list.

Think about ways in which you can reduce the risk of these impacts on your physical wellbeing.

What can you do to bring those risks down? Pause the video, add to your list and think about how you can reduce those risks.

So let's have a look, I've given you some ideas.

We said that there was a lack of exercise.

Screen-time meant that children were less likely to exercise.

How can you reduce the risks? We'll, move more at times when you're not using the screens, have a dance around your living room if it's too cold and wet to go outside.

Put some music on, dance with your family and just have a good time.

Move around you are using screens.

If you're on your phone, you can have a march while you're on the spot.

You can walk around your house.

If you listen to music, if you read an article online you can move while you're doing those things.

We also explored having a chance of having a less healthy diet is an outcome of having more screen time.

You can reduce the risk by turning off your screens when you are eating.

Make a conscious effort, that when you are sitting down to eat you turn off screens off and you eat mindfully.

The taste, the textures, the smells make sure you taking those in and chew your food carefully.

Also try not to snack when you're on screen-based devices, you don't realise how much you are eating until you come off and you look down.

Sometimes you might have opened a packet of crisp and thought there was still loads left and when you look down, there's nothing in there.

That's because your mind isn't focused on what you are eating 'cause it's focused directly on the screen.

Thirdly, we said that a lack of sleep might lead to a higher calorie intake.

The best way that you can get more sleep is to make sure that you ban the use of screens even your phones or TV, for at least an hour before bed.

This blue light really does damage your ability to increase the melatonin to help you fall asleep.

So you need to protect your eyes from blue light.

There are lots of blue light glasses.

So there are glasses, they're not prescription glasses, but they will make the screens provide less blue light to your eyes.

So you can use those if you do need to use your computers after tea time.

And you can exercise as well as help you to sleep.

Now, let's move on to the screen time in our mental wellbeing.

If you spend too much time in front of your screens, this can also impact not only on your physical well-being but your mental wellbeing.

Too much screen time studies have shown, will reduce people's self-esteem and self-worth.

So studies show that children who spend more time on screens, maybe more lonely, stressed or anxious, nervous, tense, aggressive, or angry.

This isn't just people who use the social media.

This is people using more screen time in the whole.

It can also make people feel sad, overly tired, withdrawn, and they may also become more isolated from friends and family, which in turn reduces your self worth.

Screen time has also shown to affect people's ability to focus and pay attention for good length of time.

Let's look back at list again.

And I want you to add any new learning to your list.

Again, I would like you to think about ways that you can reduce the risk of screen time on your mental wellbeing.

I've added some more to our list.

I've got that it disrupts your sleep.

It may increase the risk of obesity.

It may alter your mood.

Pause the video and add your answers in now, please.

So here are my examples.

We talked about screen time having an impact on your self esteem, and the ways that you use the device can increase the chances of your self-esteem being reduced.

But what can you do to reduce the risks of this? Well, you can spend time with people who love you.

And even though it is more difficult you can accept their compliments when they give them.

You can also use positive mantras to remind yourself of how amazing you are.

You can look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are worthy, that you are a wonderful person, and that people love you.

The more we tell ourselves these things, the more likely we are to believe them.

Screen time can also impact on your mood.

And we said that it makes people feel more sad, anxious, angry, stressed, or lonely.

How can you reduce the risk of this? We you can limit your screen usage for particular time slots.

When you are using a screen, try to involve other people.

If you are playing a game, play a game together.

If you are watching a video say, hey mom, hey dad, come and look at this.

And also remember to exercise and sleep.

Exercise is one of the most important impacts on your mental wellbeing.

Remember to do it regularly.

Third one, is reducing the amount of attention that you pay to other things.

Can be an impact of screen time.

To reduce the risk of this, make sure that you set good amounts of time aside to improve your attention span.

This might be that you're giving yourself time to sit and read a book.

When we're online, we see lots of adverts, pop-ups, links we might click on something to read something else that's linked to it.

If we're just reading small posts on social media it might just be a few sentences to help your brain to engage in reading a decent amount of texts focusing for a good amount of time just to spend some time reading a book you might also do some mindfulness colouring pages.

They've got very small pieces of a picture to be colouring in and focusing on, and that helps your mental wellbeing as well as enhancing your concentration levels.

You might choose to work on a puzzle, a lot of people like Sudokus or they might like crosswords.

Those things reduce the amount of time that you spent looking at short sharp bursts of things and increase your attention.

Now let's complete a reflection task.

Here's Nicky.

Nicky has been spending quite a lot of time on social media pages.

I started to notice these feeling more angry, and he's feeling more sad, and he's not wanting to go out for his usual walks with his dad.

Reflecting on your learning in today's lesson.

I would like you to create an action plan for Nicky to help him.

You need to include a daily schedule, include times that he may or may not be using screens.

Advice about other activities that he could be doing, and top tips for helping his mental and physical wellbeing.

Pause the video and create that action plan, now please.

Well, thank you for joining me for lesson two of our unit.

If you would like to, you can ask a parents or carer to share the work that you've completed on Twitter, tagging atOakNational and hashtag learnwithOak.

I look forward to seeing you for lesson three.