A new post-COVID world has signalled concerning trends for parents of young children, with almost a quarter reporting their children’s emotional patterns have worsened in the past year, according to a new survey.
The latest results from Camp Australia’s Child Impact Survey revealed that more parents are reporting their children becoming more easily overwhelmed and more sensitive since schools have resumed normal teaching.
Among the school leaders surveyed, more than two thirds reported similar results.
Forty-two per cent of parents said they were concerned with the level of unproductive screen time their children were experiencing, while children’s skills in making new friends and socialising were also notable concerns.
Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson believes the results from the survey suggest the lingering negative effects of the pandemic on children, and that more should be done to build their resilience.
“Most of these concerns relate to children in Foundation/Prep and Grades One and Two, so we’re seeing these issues impact very young children,” Dr Coulson said.
“When children have too much unproductive screen time or avoid making new friends, they can be at increased risk of mental ill-health including experiencing social difficulties, poor academic results and even developing physical health concerns.”
More than 5,000 families and 130 school leaders participated in the survey, which is now in its third year.
Launched in 2020, the survey set out to interrogate the impacts of the pandemic on Australian children aged 5-12, with the hope of developing targeted strategies for fostering a safer, more inclusive environment for them.
In the latest survey, which was conducted in December last year, 63 per cent of school leaders said they wanted to learn more about online safety and ways of educating young children in this area.
Marking the International Safer Internet Day today, which takes place each year on February 7, Dr Coulson said, “While we can’t entirely avoid the use of screens in our work and study lives, we need to be aware children are growing up with new ways of working where technology is universal.”
“This is all the more reason to develop a healthy relationship with technology and socialising offline as early as possible to counteract these impacts and become more resilient in the long term.”
This year marks the initiative’s 20th anniversary, with the key theme, “Connect. Reflect. Protect.”
“Whether children are connecting with their peers through a social platform or an online network, you as a parent (or an educator) should teach them that the online space is not an outlet for negativity,” Camp Australia expressed in a statement. “This includes bullying, stalking, leaving hate messages and any other misconduct that they should not provoke or engage in.”
“It should be used with love, care and kindness to develop healthy relationships and create an environment where everyone feels safe to share and interact. An important tip for children using mobile devices is to keep their apps secure with protected access (PIN, passwords), and for parents to set up a ‘child-lock’ to ensure they are not getting access (or exposed) to inappropriate ads or apps.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked the occasion by releasing a video this morning, emphasising the importance for community members to learn how to stay safe online.
He highlighted his government’s six million dollar commitment to make digital and media literacy tools, which were developed by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation – a Melbourne-based organisation dedicated to keeping children and young people free from violence and trauma.
“It’s freely available to all schools, not just those who can afford them,” he said. “Our government is serious about online safety.”
Camp Australia CEO Warren Jacobson insists the results of the survey are crucial to helping families and school leaders address critical aspects of children’s long-term development.
“It’s no coincidence a sense of disconnection and isolation continues to impact our children, and this research helps illustrate exactly what parents and school leaders are wanting to address going into the 2023 school year,” he said.
“We know socialisation skills are critical for all aspects of a child’s growth, but these insights reveal excessive time in front of screens continues, and children are more erratic and feel less connected despite the end of lockdowns.”
Jacobson believes there are several ways parents and educators can tackle the issue of e-safety and the influence of social media on young people.
“Providing opportunities for social interaction outside the structure of learning in the classroom is one of the ways we can help address these concerns,” he said.
“Activities before and after the school day where children can socialise across age and cultural boundaries and pursue other interests actively such as sport, cooking, drama, arts and crafts in a structured environment, all play a critical role in providing a sense of normalcy, promoting social development and an alternative to screen time.”
Last month, the country’s eSafety commissioner expressed concerns over online bullying among children, saying it was reaching “concerning levels.”
Julie Inman Grant said bullying complaints had increased by 69 per cent in the past year alone, though she asserts that this crisis must be seen as an opportunity to improve.
“We have an opportunity to positively shape the technology landscape to reduce the potential for harms related to the metaverse, generative AI and quantum environments, all of which are looming in our near future,” she told the Guardian.
Camp Australia said it welcomes the eSafety Commissioner’s eSafety Early Years and eSafe kids program for children, parents and educators, which include interactive games, posters, online lessons and booklets.