Life and wellbeing of children and adolescents studying remotely during the epidemic of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19)
In the spring of 2020, 1.3 billion children around the world stayed in self-isolation and did not attend school due to the epidemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Distance education (DE) in self-isolation during the COVID-19 epidemic resulted in significant changes in the schoolchildren’s life and influenced their wellbeing while indicating health problems. We conducted an anonymous survey using the online GoogleForms constructor to study the characteristics of life and wellbeing of schoolchildren during DE and to develop recommendations for children, parents, and teachers on DE education and the student’s daily routine. The survey took place in the period of April 27 - May 26, 2020; it enrolled 29 779 students of 5th-11th grades from 79 regions of Russia. The analysis of the respondents’ answers showed that 50.2 % of respondents practiced actual DE (online education). The survey revealed that a modern school does not provide health-safe e-learning technologies including digital devices for delivering educational information basing on the age and health status of schoolchildren. During the self-isolation period students were exposed to such unfavorable factors as a significantly increased duration of “school hours” and time for homework (29.8 % and 59.7 %, respectively); 46.7 % of respondents noticed increased daily time spend with gadgets; 77.2 % - confirmed their daily screen time was in excess of 4 hours; 68.3 % noted a decrease of outdoor time; and 55.2 % of children - reduction of physical activity. The main gadget of daily use was a smartphone; 73.1 % indicated that it was used for DE. Signs of computer visual syndrome were registered in 30.7 % of respondents, carpal tunnel syndrome (typical for people using personal computers) - in 4.2 %. Stressful environment of self-isolation and DE affected the psychosomatic state of schoolchildren: 83.8 % had unfavourable mental response at the borderline level, only 13.4 % of schoolchildren adapted to self-isolation and DE. We found that during the COVID-19 epidemic there was no proper medical, psychological, and pedagogical support for children and parents that indicates the need for hygienic regulation of DE and the development of an action program for similar situations to reduce the risk of health problems for all participants of educational process in conditions of self-isolation and DE.