GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s common for most people to be attached at the hip to their devices.
That habit is trickling down to children. A Pew research survey shows 46% of teens in the United States admit they are on the internet almost constantly, while 31% of adults say the same.
It’s data like this, and the usage of technology during the pandemic, that influenced the decision to go tech-free at Peck Elementary School in Greensboro.
“Our teachers do a really great job of using these tech free Tuesdays to create a collaborative environment and interact with students on a social level, so that they know how to interact in person rather than just behind a screen,” said Ashley Triplet, the principal of Peck Elementary.
Interacting with others is so important, and it’s what a lot of students are missing out on when they stare at a screen all day.
“Having them have the chance to do something outside of the norm. I think tech free days make me feel like it's OK to do that,” Shelly Doolen, a second-grade teacher said.
Students in her second-grade class are learning about hatching eggs in an incubator.
Teaching students without technology is important, and the students are more engaged on tech-free Tuesdays, Doolen said.
She asked her students, “What did we do on our first tech-free Tuesday? They responded with: 'we made ice cream.'”
“We did it with bags and ice. It was a mess, and it was salty. The ice cream did turn out salty, but we learned from it. It was kind of having them really do a real science experiment," Doolen said.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry said for children ages 6 and older, parents should encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.
For older students, like fourth and fifth graders, who were impacted by the pandemic that limitation on screens allows them to be more present.