The role of health educators in mitigating health risk from increasing screen time in schools and at home

ABSTRACT

Contemporary health educators in schools are responsible for promoting the health of individual students, as well as a healthy school environment. The ongoing push for increasing device use in schools, which is underpinned by the information and communications technology (ICT) capability requirements of the new Australian Curriculum, can potentially lead to health risks for students that may not be well understood by students, schools and families. Widespread increasing implementation of ICT may outpace supporting research into risks. While schools tend to focus on cyber safety in relation to risks from ICT use, limited consideration is given to the other potential health risks of sustained screen time, despite the robust and growing body of research linking sustained screen time to a range of health issues. This paper outlines a crucial practical role for health educators in mitigating health risk to students from increasing screen time in schools and at home. Schools need to communicate the importance of balance in screen time, leading by example and fostering protective partnerships with students, their families and broader community support mechanisms.

KEYWORDS:

• Health and physical education
• healthy schools
• screen time
• health guidelines

Notes on contributors

Margaret K. Merga is a researcher and lecturer in the School of Education at Murdoch University in Western Australia. Her research areas include health promotion in education, literacy, technology in education, secondary education and doctoral education. Her previous health promotion research papers in dietary interventions and the effects of increased device use on young people’s health have been published in Health Education Journal, Australasian Medical Journal and Appetite. She has taught in schools in Australia and internationally.

Ross Williams is the Academic Chair for Health and Physical Education and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Murdoch University. He has worked as a teacher, teacher educator, and administrator in a variety of educational institutions in Western Australia and internationally. His research primarily focuses on the development and implementation of healthy lifestyle educational programs, including the state-wide ‘Take the challenge’ project. He is currently researching tertiary HPE students’ perceptions of peer assessment.