Child mental health in the milieu of online education

ABSTRACT

The aim of this chapter is to examine the impact of online education on mental health of children, and explore methods to improve the same. With the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, major overhauls were made in day-to-day life including work, home, and education. Shift to online mode of instruction became the primary, if not the only, channel of education. This drastic shift has led to issues like limited social interaction, learning gaps due to insufficient in-person interaction, excessive screen time on devices, and decreased physical activity, which can impact mental health of children. This chapter will explore the impact of online learning on the mental health of children from both mental ill-health and well-being perspectives, the role of parents, teachers, and educational systems, and challenges and opportunities presented by the situation. Further to this, the ways to safeguard and improve mental health of children in the milieu of online education will be discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)