Snow days should be preserved as days without a thought about school. Growing up, snow days were about shoveling the driveway with my mom and hanging out with friends, before the implementation of virtual learning.
This has not been the case for today’s youth, and for that I am sorry.
Requiring children to move to virtual learning on snow days puts a strain on caregivers. Some students must go to daycare and for workers to manage and aid multiple children with different virtual learning sessions is nearly impossible. Having children go about typical snow day activities that are already planned by daycares is simple and easy for employees.
As someone who works at a summer camp, I can only imagine the headache virtual learning brings my colleagues.
While virtual learning provides a new way for students to learn, it can also harm them. Science Direct says that an increase in screen time can lead to sleep problems for children and limiting screen time is important for development. Too much screen time, as reported by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, can have a negative impact on children’s eye health; increased screen time could lead to dry, irritated eyes and even nearsightedness.
And not all students have access to computers and the internet — learning from their houses simply doesn’t always work. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in Connecticut only 89% of children between the ages of 3-18 who live in poverty have access to devices. Of that, just 85.8% of them have internet access.
Throughout the state, according to the survey, 1.3% of children do not have internet access. If not all children have access to devices or the internet, requiring them to log in on snow days becomes more difficult. Even if public libraries remain open during snowstorms, traveling to and from places, especially on snow days, may be impossible for the working parent – or even the working student. Many colleges, such as the University of New Haven, require professors to hold lectures on days when the school is closed due to inclement weather. For students with roommates, or without computers or internet, virtual learning is next to impossible.
If students are not forced to log in for snow days, time away from the classroom can be used as a day to refresh. According to a survey by the National Trust, children between 10 and 16 spend just 12.6 minutes a day in outdoor activities, compared to 10.4 hours being motionless. Outdoor play leads to physically and mentally stronger children, so snow days are the perfect opportunity for children to get outside and play without being shackled to their computers.
Snow days also offer students a break from their mundane routine. Once kids grow into adults, they lose the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a snow day, so for just a little while, let kids be kids and play in the snow.
