Hugh Cole students were recently assigned an opinion/argument letter on a topic of their choice, and the results were sent to the Warren Times. This is one of the letters:

To Whom It May Concern,
You are sitting on your couch watching TV or playing your favorite video game. You are happy. You are enjoying yourself. But did you ever stop (or in this case, pause) to think about what that screen is doing to you? Children spend too much time every day on a device. I think that time on screens and devices should be more controlled because they can cause behavioral changes, they hurt your mind and your body, and they affect social skills.
The first reason why screen time should be more controlled is because they cause behavioral changes. For example, when you are on a screen for too long, it can cause something called Cyber Sickness, which makes the user feel nauseous; like they are on a roller coaster. This is mostly found in tweens and teenagers. Also, you can start to actually feel like you're phone or device is vibrating in your pocket, even if it is not. Lastly, overuse of a device can cause depression, unhappiness, and lack of sleep. In fact, 6 in 10 kids don’t get enough sleep because of their devices.
The next reason why screen time should be more controlled is because they hurt your mind and body. For example, screens can cause pain in thumbs and fingers when texting or typing for too long. Also, screens can cause eye strain. Eye strain is when the muscles in the eye are stretched out when overused. Steven Rauch, medical director of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Balance and Vestibular Center and a professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School, told the New York Times, “Your sense of balance is different than other senses in that it has lots of inputs. When those inputs don’t agree, that’s when you feel dizziness and nausea.” Finally, screens can also cause neck strain, which stretches your spine to the extent that it is carrying 60 pounds of head weight.
Lastly, screens can affect social skills. Even though screens help friends and family keep in touch, people on texting or calling in a car are most likely to get into a car than people who are not. Also, screens can change facial expressions, tone of voice, and eye contact for children while socializing. In fact, 3 in 4 tweens spend less time outside than prisoners do. Lastly, devices cause kids and teenagers not to pay attention during class and other enriching programs.
In conclusion, screens should definitely be more controlled. These are just a few reasons why, but maybe next time you are spending the weekend in front of your phone, you will think twice about saying ‘no’ to taking a walk.
Sincerely,
Millie Piper

Warren