It has pledged $2.5 million to establish a screen-related addiction research fund to look at issues such as: What are the key sources of problematic screen time for young people in NSW?; What impact is screen use having on the learning, wellbeing and behaviour of children?; Strategies to counter the negative impacts of problematic screen use; Whether today’s students are impacted by screens in the same ways as other generations; and the impact on teaching as a result of changing digital technologies – with a report due by 2026.
Premier Chris Minns said everyone knew young people loved their devices be it mobile phones, gaming devices or their computers, but “many parents are worried about screen time and how it might be affecting their children and how they learn, but the impacts of devices on children are largely unknown”.
Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car, said students spend a lot of their time on devices – “so it is important that we find out how this new reality is impacting children and their development”.
“Many parents I speak with are worried about the impact screen time is having on their children, and it is important we help to provide parents all the facts they need to make informed decisions,” she said.
Plan to research screen addiction
HAVING already banned mobile phones for students in public schools, the State Government will go a step further in tackling screen-related addiction in young people and fund an investigation into the impacts of problematic screen use on their development and learning.