How online learning can affect student health

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic rapidly spread across the country, schools have
shut their doors and classes have moved online in order to slow the spread. The transition to
online learning has impacted not only teachers, who have had to amend their courses, but also
students who have had to adjust to a new learning environment.

Technology has been integrated into every aspect of modern life. It is not possible in all but
the most remote cultures to not be exposed to some sort of technology on a daily basis.
Technology allows humans to connect without the limitations of geography, it makes
processes more efficient and it supplements the intellect and effectiveness of the
human brain

One of the major consequences of the transition to online learning is its impact on student
health, specifically sleep habits. Students in different time zones than their institutions are
now sacrificing sleep to wake up for classes on Zoom. Matthew Walker, a sleep scientist at
Google and professor of neuroscience at the University of California at Berkeley, explained
how a lack of sleep can affect learning outcomes in his research article titled “The sleep-
deprived human brain.” Walked wrote that sleep deprivation causes deficits in the prefrontal
cortex, which normally keeps our amygdala, the emotional and impulse region of the brain, in
check.

Virtual learning has inevitably increased the amount of time students spend on digital devices
everyday. Sophomore student Dovish Jaywalk is an international student from India. She
noted that online learning has resulted in a significant increase in her personal electronic use
in an interview with The News-Letter. “I spend around eight to 10 more hours on my laptop
on a weekly basis because of the switch to remote instruction,” she said.

In an interview with The News-Letter, Director of the Hopkins Pediatric Sleep Center Dr.
Laura Sterni expressed her concern that digital learning will disrupt student sleep. “The risk
is that the technology becomes all-consuming and, as a sleep doctor, I worry most about the
potential negative impact on sleep,” she said. In addition to adverse health impacts from
altered sleep cycles, increased digital use can affect student’s physical and mental health.
Jennifer Katzenstein, director of psychology and neuropsychology at the Hopkins All
Children is Hospital, has observed the impact of remote learning on children of all ages.
Katzenstein explained that college students in particular are struggling to create an
environment free of distractions and develop the necessary organizational skills to stay on top
of their assignments, noting that these difficulties can affect students’ mental health.

“Increased screen time usage, especially for non-academic activities, has been found to be
linked with increases in depression, anxiety and perceived attention problems,” Katzenstein
said. Many international students who are now in different time zones have had to adjust their
sleep cycle in order to attend class. Altering regular sleep patterns affects the body’s circadian
rhythm, or internal biological clock. Katzenstein explained that the circadian rhythm is based
on light exposure, which is maintained by waking up when there is light out and going to
sleep when it is dark. She added that increased screen time can have a negative impact on
rhythm. “Light exposure in the a.m. helps us wake up, and decreasing light exposure in the
evening helps you fall asleep through nocturnal melatonin induction,” she said. “Exposure to
light in the evening, especially blue light from our computer screens may suppress nocturnal
melatonin secretion and alter circadian rhythms.” Katzenstein explained that health effects
associated with not sticking to a regular sleep cycle include difficulties falling asleep, staying
asleep, waking up and daytime fatigue. When what students asked should do to maintain their
health while learning remotely, both Katzenstein and Sterni stressed the importance of getting
adequate sleep. They noted that young adults should seek to sleep for seven to nine hours each
night. Sterni offered tips on how to decompress before bed to encourage rest. “Be sure to turn
off your electronics and do something relaxing the hour before bed — read a book, listen to
music,” Sterni said. Online learning has also affected the physical activity levels of students.
Not walking between classes has made some students stationary for hours on end in front of
their computers. Jaiswal expressed that she wishes she could be active, like she was on
campus. “I really do miss the walks, and just sitting at my laptop makes me feel extremely
sluggish and lazy,” Jaiswal said. Katzenstein and Sterni both recommend staying physically
active and eating healthy during remote learning. While this transition has posed many
challenges, they both recommend that students prioritize their health.

Caution must be used in technology use in both children and adolescents. It is important to
balance technology use with other activities that promote relationships, creativity and
development. Excessive use can negatively affect the physical, mental, emotional and
social development of youth. More health education interventions are needed in the
United States and other countries to increase wariness of this potential issue health and
sleep.