School attendance: Why mental health and screen time are keys
To improve student well-being and get them excited about coming to school, we must address two critical areas: mental health and screen time.
School attendance matters.
Students who show up regularly are more likely to excel academically, graduate on time, and develop essential social and emotional skills. Yet, chronic absenteeism remains a nationwide issue.
From what I’ve seen as a therapist and school counselor, students who avoid school aren’t doing so because they don’t want to learn; they’re young people often struggling with anxiety and a lack of belonging, which triggers a negative response to school, decreased motivation, and sometimes skipping school altogether.
To improve student well-being and get them excited about coming to school, we must address two critical areas: mental health and screen time. Both play a significant role in how students feel and perform in school, and both require immediate and thoughtful intervention.
Prioritizing Mental Health
Creating an integrated mental health prevention, education, and intervention program at all three tiers of support can directly and immediately improve student attendance and engagement. Students often stop coming to school when they are feeling disconnected, having family problems or struggling with their self-worth and confidence. School leaders must acknowledge their own roles in creating a healthy, welcoming, and supportive environment focused on promoting mental health.
Steps Administrators Can Take to Prioritize Mental Health:
- Invest in educator mental health: Begin by supporting teachers and staff. When educators are mentally healthy, they can better support their students. Offer professional development on stress management, provide access to mental health resources and foster a positive work environment.
- Implement comprehensive mental health programs: Develop programs that include prevention, education and intervention at all levels. Ensure these programs are integrated into the daily school routine and accessible to all students.
- Create a supportive school environment: Foster a culture where students feel safe, respected and valued. This includes creating policies that promote inclusivity and promptly address bullying and discrimination.
- Teach resilience and life skills: Incorporate a curriculum that teaches students how to manage stress, build resilience and develop life skills.
- Validate and support students: Ensure that student programs acknowledge the challenges young people face but also empower them to take control of their actions and decisions.
- Engage parents and guardians: Work with families to create a cohesive support system for students. Offer workshops and resources to help parents understand and support their children’s mental health needs.
- Monitor and evaluate programs: Regularly assess the effectiveness of mental health programs and make adjustments as needed.
Promoting Healthy Screen Time Habits
Studies reveal that the average teen spends about seven hours a day on screens for entertainment, far exceeding the two hours recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The U.S. surgeon general has even suggested implementing warnings on social media platforms due to their negative impact. Research consistently links excessive screen time and social media use to higher levels of anxiety and depression among students.
How Schools Can Manage Screen Time Effectively:
- Limit screen use in classrooms: Integrate more hands-on activities, group work and physical movement into the curriculum.
- Educate students on screen time impact: Incorporate lessons on digital literacy and the effects of excessive screen time into the health and wellness curriculum.
- Create screen-free zones: Designate areas in the school, such as cafeterias and common rooms, as screen-free zones.
- Promote active breaks: Encourage regular breaks during school hours where students can engage in physical activities or mindfulness exercises instead of screen-based activities.
- Model healthy behavior: Teachers and staff can model healthy screen time habits by limiting their own use of devices during school hours.
By promoting mental health and fostering healthier screen habits, schools can significantly improve students’ mental health, sleep patterns, and overall school performance.
As we gear up for the 2024-25 school year, let’s focus on these key strategies that address the root causes of absenteeism. By providing mental health support and fostering healthier screen habits, we can help ensure all students have the chance to thrive academically and succeed personally, now and in the future.
