Online games, videos, and apps are great fun and can help you learn and relax. The internet is a wonderful place to enjoy learning, playing games, or watching your favourite videos, but too much screen time can affect your mood, sleep, and energy. And that's true of anyone, no matter how old or young they are.
So in this video, we're going to help you learn how to balance your online time with playing outside, spending time with family, and resting your eyes. It's super important to take breaks and choose activities to help you feel positive and healthy.
Can I take a break now? Imagine you have a little plant that you need to take care of to help it grow. You need to give it water right before you pour too much water on it. The plant might drown. And if all you give it is water, but no sunlight or soil, it's not going to do very well either.
Spending time online is a little bit like watering a plant. A bit of time online can help you learn new things, stay connected with friends, and have fun. It's like giving the plant just the right amount of water to help it grow. But if you spend too much time online, it can be damaging, like giving the plant too much water. And just like a plant needs other things like sunlight and soil to stay healthy, you need other things besides screen time to feel your best. Like good sleep, exercise, and spending time with family and friends offline. It's all about balance.
So remember the internet can be helpful and fun, but it's only one part of what helps you grow.
Hello. Yes, I'm almost through to the next round. Jesse and I are crushing this for now. Hey, you've been playing that for over an hour. Time for a break when that game ends. Oh, I don't want to stop now. We've got to the semi-finals, and Jesse will be online later. My eyes are kind of sore, but just to show. God, I hope I play this well in the competition on Sunday. Coach would love that. Actually, he wouldn't love me being tired and out of practice. Yeah. Mom's right. Time for a break. That's what we say for another time. And Jesse gets it. How am I going to assist her for the winning goal if I don't practice? Let's see if I can pull off some of those gaming moves when I'm actually kicking a ball outside.
So in order to stay healthy on and off screen, follow age restrictions on games and websites. They're there for good reason and to keep you safe. Remember, the internet is designed to be sticky as it keeps us coming back for more with notifications and playing the next thing it thinks will like too much time online can affect your mood, sleep, or friendships. Balance it with other activities you find fun. That's me. Done. I'm off for kickabout.
Video summary
- Emma-Louise Amanshia introduces the topic of health, wellbeing and lifestyle, explaining that going online can have positive and negative impacts, so we need to balance our time online and offline.
- The video uses the analogy of how spending time online is like looking after a plant, and that plants need a balance of different things to stay healthy, like people do.
- Dramatisation of a young person playing a game online who initially chooses not to take a break but, after considering the negative effects it could have on them, they decide to take a break after all.
- Emma-Louise offers final top tips and advice.
Video: 3min 34sec
Learning objectives
- Balance your screen time: Understand that spending too much time online can sometimes affect your mood, sleep, or friendships. Balance your screen time with outdoor play, reading, or other fun activities.
- Follow age restrictions: Learn why it’s important to follow age restrictions on games and websites. These rules help keep you safe from things you’re not ready to see or experience.
- It’s ‘sticky’ so take breaks: The internet is designed to be ‘sticky’, as it keeps us coming back for more. Tech keeps us hooked in - notifications, autoplay, etc. Know that if something you’re doing online makes you feel tired, stressed, or uncomfortable, it’s good to take a break and do something else to feel better
Glossary
- Screen time: the time you spend online or on technology.
- Age restrictions: the age you need to be before using something.
- Digital wellbeing: how going online makes us feel
Topic introductions and starters
Before the video:
- What do you enjoy doing online?
- What do you think screen time is?
- Why might going online make you feel positive?
- How might too much time online make people feel?
After the video:
- Why is the character enjoying being online?
- Why was it difficult for the character to take a break from their game?
- How did they know it was time to take a break?
- What did the character decide to do instead of playing the game online?
Activities
- Draw a set of scales. On one side, list the things you enjoy doing online. On the other side, list the things you enjoy doing offline. Try to make sure they are equally balanced.
- Draw an outline of a person. Inside this shape, list the signs that your body might show if you have been online for too long (e.g. sore eyes). On the outside of this shape, list the signs from the world around you (e.g. your battery running low, your parent/carer telling you it’s time to turn it off, etc.)
- Create a top tips poster, advising other young people how to balance their screen time
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