An aid or an obstacle? Parent and teacher perspectives on the impact of technology on children’s wellbeing and school life

The dominance of technology in the daily lives of modern-day children has raised much concern about the impacts on their wellbeing. However, there are also many advantages and opportunities transpiring. This paper asks whether technology is an aid or an obstacle to a child’s wellbeing and school life. Parent and teacher perspectives were collected from a group of seven schools in Northwest England using surveys and interviews, seeking to compare perspectives and better inform the ongoing strategies of schools. The data revealed disconnections between the perspectives of parents/carers and teachers, highlighting the need for increased dialogue and collaboration to occur. Existing approaches of parent respondents tended to be adult-led and directive rather than viewing children as co-creators of establishing their own healthy pathway in the online world. Support and advice from schools could be transformative for families who find implementing technology boundaries to be highly stressful. It is evident that there is a need for significant investment and ongoing research in this area to harness the positive aspects of the ever-changing online world and reduce the impacts on school life.