This school year the way that students have been taught has looked very different. From full distance, to online, to hybrid and back to normal are all different ways that we have had school taught to us this year. School systems all across the nation have changed what school looks like for kids and teachers. The biggest change is how school is done with computers. Students now have extra time to look at a screen. Many teachers, parents and specialists fear that blue light is affecting students’ brains in a negative way. 

In Owatonna for most students, running the hybrid schedule is online three days a week. All assignments, lessons and google meets with teachers consists of being online. Online days are filled with google meets. After getting done with that students get their assignments online and proceed to do them. Then the next class comes around doing the exact same thing. All this screen time is added to high schoolers typical day filled with screen time. On average teenagers are looking at a screen seven hours or more without online school added to that. Then adding online school adds to the number of hours staring at a screen. Blue light affects the brain in multiple ways. Vision on one’s eyes, dry eyes and most importantly it disrupts sleep. https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/blue-light-health

 Students spend the majority of their day looking at some type of screen. Junior, Jacob Reinardy said, “Between talking to people, TikTok, gaming and school I am constantly looking at a screen through my day.” The majority of students and teachers relate to  Reinardy. Too much of anything is bad for you no matter what it is. Reinardy adds,  “That all this screen time has killed my sleeping schedule. I don’t fall to sleep till around two or three in the morning almost every night.” Blue light has an effect on the brain that stimulates it and it causes the brain to not be able to shut down. 

Screen time has a wide effect on kids in a positive or negative way. Makayla Stenzel said, “All this screen time for students is playing a major factor on teenagers’ moods, depression and self confidence. Due to all the time on screens we see what other people are doing and that is hard for teenagers minds.” Experts project that this generation will suffer from depression at an all time high rate. Studies have already proven that. Experts are worried that numbers still might be on the rise. Stenzel adds, “I am   looking forward to four days a week so I do not have to look at a screen as much.” On March 30, Owatonna High School will be returning to four days of in person and Wednesday online. A step forward to being back to normal.

Students are spending too much time looking at a screen. Hybrid and online has not helped that in any way. Teenagers spend most of their day looking at a screen. Blue light is having a major impact on kids eyes and sleeping schedules. Hopefully returning back to school will help with students limit their time spent on a screen.