skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

As WI Schools Integrate New Tech, Experts Advise Managing Screen Time

play audio
Play

Tuesday, January 18, 2022   

The pandemic has compelled many teachers to integrate new technology into their lesson plans, increasing the risks excessive screen time can pose to students.

A 2019 report from Wisconsin's Office of Children's Mental Health found teens who log more than seven hours a day on electronics are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Linda Hall, director of the office, acknowledged that screen time is essentially unavoidable for modern students, but says parents can make plans to limit kids' tech use after school.

"When parents actually have a plan, they have a family plan for how screen time is going to be used," said Hall, "the data shows that it makes a difference, that kids start using it less."

The OCMH offers several strategies for limiting kids' screen usage; including increasing opportunities for physical activities and extracurricular events and restricting where in their homes tech can be used.

Scott Edmonds, chief eye care officer with United Healthcare, said excessive screen usage - and the resulting exposure to blue light - also can impact how well folks sleep at night.

"It suppresses the release of the hormone melatonin, which is our sleep hormone," said Edmonds. "So when you're exposed to blue light late in the day, your sleep can be disrupted."

Per the 2019 report - the most recent year such data is available - only about a quarter of teens reported that they got a full eight hours of sleep each night.

Hall said parents shouldn't view technology as inherently bad. She added that when used in moderation, it can help kids create new connections and nurture existing ones.

In several listening sessions her office has held with young Wisconsinites, students have said those virtual connections can serve as support structures during uncertain times.

"These young people," said Hall, "are telling us that they are so excited that they are able to talk to other kids who understand what they're going through, and are concerned about mental health and how to make things better for kids at their school."

Hall advised parents to serve as a role model for healthy screen usage, in part by avoiding multi-tasking and placing their phones on silent when around kids.

According to a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, more than half of parents admitted they spent too much time on their phones.



Disclosure: United Healthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021