THE IMPACT OF ONLINE ACTIVITIES ON STUDENTS’ HEALTH AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of time management during online activities for students. At the beginning of the pandemic period, on March the 2020, after the first online activity, a pilot study was conducted to identify the students’ perception about online activities, the time they should spend online during the day, the time students spend on different devices (computer, tablet or mobile phone) and the difficulties they have during the first online activities. A number of 106 students (44 boys and 62 girls) in 5th grade, from a middle school located in an urban area, in Romania, participated in this study. The results demonstrate that most of the students (33) representing 31.1% spend 1-2 hours/day online but there are 6 students (5.6%) who spend more than 6 hours/day online. Most of the students (56.6%) consider they should have 3 online activities/day and the duration of these activities should be 40 - 50 minutes. Strategies to promote students’ wellbeing during online activities are also presented focusing on identifying the best way to use the time spend online in order to reach the necessary curricular objectives and to avoid health problems. The conclusions highlight the importance of finding the best time management strategies for online activities to avoid future health problems for students, especially in the situation in which at the global level the pandemic period is not even closed to the end point. As screen time is a controversial factor, with high implication for health and education, data are important for sustainability of educational system and future decisions.