If the pandemic has had any beneficial effect on children’s education it has been on their reading, with, according to The Telegraph the first increase in this pastime since 2016. With “55.9% of children aged between nine and 18 said they enjoyed reading, compared to 47.8% the year before” the trend of declining numbers has at last been reversed, which had reached its lowest figure in 2020. Not surprisingly what the pandemic did to boost the appreciation of children’s books was that they suddenly had more time to read. One of the researchers commented that “reading improved their wellbeing and encouraged them to dream about the future, offering a refuge for a source of calm, escapism and relaxation”. A major critique about technology is that increasing exposure to digital devices has an effect on a child’s wellbeing, and can lead to addiction, disrupted sleep patterns, and with blue light emitted from devices can impact their vision over the long-term. The break with digital back to analogue in those children who indulged, will no doubt have a positive effect on them and hopefully pave the way for alternative forms of relaxation other online games and FB. At Escudo Web we encourage this trend. Devices with our software (laptops, chromebooks, tablets and phones) can be managed by a parent outside of school hours, enabling them to limit time spent on devices as well as the access that they have to content on the internet, safeguarding them against inappropriate content.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/29/lockdown-sparked-revival-reading-among-children