Coronavirus: Hong Kong primary school pupils’ screen time tripled to 7 hours a day during Covid-19 outbreaks, researchers find
- Study finds that the average time primary school pupils spent on electronic gadgets surged from two hours before the pandemic to seven hours during outbreaks
- Poor sleep quality associated with spike in screen time will affect children’s learning abilities and emotions, researchers warn
Researchers who conducted the study involving nearly 1,900 students said on Monday that poor sleep quality associated with the spike in screen time would affect the children’s learning abilities and emotions, adding that class suspensions should only be the “very last option” if there was a Covid-19 resurgence.
“It will affect children’s studies and worsen the symptoms of hyperactivity or attention deficit, as well as their physical strength and emotions in the long run,” said Dr Patrick Ip Pak-keung of the University of Hong Kong’s paediatrics and adolescent medicine department.
The tracking study, conducted by the university in collaboration with two NGOs, CTFE Social Solutions and InspiringHK Sports Foundation, collected data from 759 primary and 1,140 secondary school pupils between September 2019 and July 2021.
The pupils were given electronic wristbands that monitored physical activity and sleeping habits for seven days over three time periods: the four months before the coronavirus pandemic struck Hong Kong in January 2020; during the suspension of in-person classes between March and April in 2020; and the partial reopening of schools between October 2020 and July 2021.
The study found that the average time primary school pupils spent on electronic gadgets surged from two hours before the pandemic to seven hours during outbreaks, while for secondary school students, it rose from eight to nine hours.
