Thursday, 06 March 2025 11:21 GMT

Re “Is all screen time harmful? What schools and parents need to know,” (School Health Pulse Evidence brief, February 11th)

Dear Editor,

I was apprehensive when doing my bus licence, thinking it might be tough to keep control of the pupils on the bus. Driving is difficult enough with traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists to watch out for, and then you have to manage the kids too.

The national school children I drive are a lively bunch, aged 5 to 13. They're a bit unruly at times, with some banter and the occasional dirty word, but there's always plenty of conversation and sometimes even a sing-song. These children never have mobile phones with them and it's lovely to see them interacting with one another.

It's a complete different story with the secondary school kids. They get on the bus and sit as quiet as mice, never saying a word. The boys sit at the back, the girls up the front, and they're all completely absorbed in their mobile phones. I ask them to keep their phones on silent mode, but it's clear they're missing out on the social side of things.

I worry we're losing a generation to screens. It's sad to see such a lively part of the day become a space devoid of interaction and connection.

Gerald McManus

Roscommon, Ireland

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