Is Online Education a Bottleneck to Social Skill Development of the Younger Lot?

By Nitin Abbey

Cover Image Attribute: A representative image by iStock Photo

By Nitin Abbey

The world saw a never-seen phenomenon at the dusk of 2019 when COVID-19 loomed large on humanity and blew up to be a pandemic around March 2020. The entire world got into lockdown, and this was something nobody would have imagined until it became a harsh reality. But as they say – the show must go on – the world also adapted to the "new normal". And the internet became the major player in running human lives. From offices to grocery shopping, from quarantine ‘social media’ collaborations to product launches and events – everything went online in its entirety. But these were still in existence in the pre-Covid-19 times; what came as a new concept was the education industry and how it shifted online from the school and college buildings.  

The paradigm shift

The schools shifted to computers, laptops, and tablets, and students, parents, and teachers – all adapted to the online education system. However, with the rise and fall of Covid-19 cases, offline schooling has been on an on-and-off mode; but since the March-2020 lockdown, it is safe to conclude that schooling has been online. The students aged between 16 to 22 years still had experienced school/ college life and are above the social skill acquiring stage. But the same cannot be said for the younger and more impressionable lot – the 5-to-13-year-olds. 

The elephant in the room

In the traditional (read pre-COVID-19 times) schooling system where students used to go to the schools and meet peers, the question of social skills was primarily around how to develop and hone them. Because the first requirement of social skill development which is to have social connect was already met. And this took a major hit with the shutting down of schools, which eventually ended the ‘socializing’ time for the kids who are in an impressionable age. Kids learn a lot about organized thinking, conceptualizing, teamwork, and interpersonal communication when they are in schools with their peers under the guidance and observation of teachers. It also helps them devise strategies to see a situation and work on problem-solving. And this crucial part of a child’s learning phase ceased to exist suddenly with the global pandemic. 

It is important to note that this shift is beyond anybody’s control. This move was/is necessary to prevent the spread of the pandemic further. While it is easy to pass the blame to the internet and its related aspects, it is not completely valid. Now that regular offline schooling might take a little more time to resume; the onus is on the parents to take care of a child’s social skill set. 

Here are a few ways how parents can help improve their children’s social skills:

1. Being emotionally present for the children in all aspects of their daily life
2. Provide opportunities to them to be a part of a discussion
3. Encourage them to take part in extracurricular activities
4. Inspire them to work on their hobbies
5. Teach them how to ask for help in any situation
6. Constant communication (both verbal and non-verbal) with the kids
7. Show them empathy and teach them how to cultivate that trait
8. Educate them on topics that might be difficult for them to understand 
9. Play educational games with them
10. Display positive and constructive body language around the children 

There will always be one or the other problem in and around our lives, but the need is to face the situation and come up with solutions that make a difference. Today’s child is tomorrow’s citizen, and it is on us how we shape them, no matter the circumstances.

About the Author:

Nitin Abbey works as Senior General Manager (Content) at a Delhi-based Digital Marketing agency, Techmagnate. He studied English Literature at Delhi University's SGTB Khalsa College and later completed his Master's in Mass Communication at the Rajendra Prasad Institute of Communication and Management. Over the last 14 years, the power of the written word has made him dabble in everything from theatre and publishing, to journalism and content creation. 

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