Contents
Computer games, surfing the Internet, and watching TV can negatively affect the results of the final exams of schoolchildren, even if it seems that these activities do not interfere with anything.
British researchers led by a researcher at the University of Cambridge Kirsten Corder (Kirsten Corder) decided to find out how physical activity and, on the contrary, a sedentary lifestyle in schoolchildren affect the results of final exams. Since physical activity is known to have a beneficial effect on mental health and thinking, the authors assumed that physically active students, all other things being equal, may have better results. However, it is possible that some teenagers are into sports at the expense of their studies.
The study involved 845 adolescents aged 14 years. They were asked how much time they spend watching TV, playing computer games, surfing the Internet, doing homework and reading. For several days, students wore a special sensor that tracks movements and heart rate, with which objective information was collected about their level of physical activity.
Read more:
- They are (too) concerned about the success of their children!
When the participants in the experiment graduated from high school, the researchers collected information about their results in final exams to assess how the lifestyle of students is associated with their academic performance.
It turned out that students who spent a lot of time in front of the TV screen or computer, passed the exams significantly worse – regardless of how much time they devoted to classes. Watching TV had the worst effect on academic performance.
The relationship of physical activity with academic performance was not found at all – it did not affect grades. The authors emphasize that it is important for schools to have a quality physical education program – it does not interfere with learning and, although it does not directly improve academic performance, it has great benefits for physical and mental health. According to the results of surveys of teenagers themselves, many of them said that they sit in front of the screens only because they do not have the opportunity to engage in the sports that interest them, since in physical education lessons everything is limited to standard football or basketball.
Read more:
- Can a successful leader be humble?
Kirsten Korder believes that in the modern world, a complete rejection of computers is unrealistic, and besides, modern technologies have great educational potential. However, it is important for parents to encourage their children to spend their free time actively, rather than sitting in front of screens. Here it is more effective not to lecture about the health benefits, but to find out what sports and outdoor activities can be really interesting for a teenager.
In the future, the researchers plan to use brain-scanning technologies to identify possible mechanisms for lower academic performance due to excessive TV and computer use.
Подробнее см. К. Corder et al. «Revising on the run or studying on the sofa: prospective associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and exam results in British adolescents», International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 12, September 2015.