From online games to online classes: Lockdown inducing behavioural changes in kids

Coronavirus has spread like wildfire in the second wave of the pandemic in India. It doesn't seem to end anytime soon. The second wave of COVID 19 has proven to be harmful and fatal. The fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus is something that is constantly on our minds.

The pandemic has turned over a new leaf in the learning aspects with schools going the digital way. The classrooms are now at fingertips, at least for those who can afford it. Gone are the days when teaching was confined within the four walls of a classroom.

Pandemic and Kids:

During the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, psychological problems like anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, inattention and sleep disturbance are fairly common among quarantined children.

The phase is really worrisome as it poses serious challenges on learning and growth of children, with the most-affected among the lot being children with special needs. Confined to their homes with no socialisation and no opportunity to hang out with friends, some of them are showing behavioural changes, often leading to medical issues. Severe anger issues, obesity, mood swings are a few of the common problems they face.

Children with special needs usually consult psychologists, speech and language coaches, and occupational therapists. But since the onset of the pandemic, receiving the same amount of care may not be possible in person. Not all care can be felt remotely as well, and there are many circumstances where such virtual care is inadequate. In many cases, parents have been forced to miss therapy and counselling sessions of their children, which impacts their physical and mental health.

What kids are learning?

There are only few kids who are properly doing their online classes, rest of them are just taking an advantage of pandemic. Some are towards gaming and some are towards bad manners. As we all know, what kids see they try to do the same. So, it's our responsibility during pandemic to make them learn good things and manners. There are many videos viral in the internet where we can see kids are performing dances, creating reels on instagram. Now, compare your childhood and tell do you also use to do this? It's just for entertainment, you will answer this. But what are its side effects? Your child is learning the adult things. This is not the age to learn this. Let them be free to play, to explore.

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