Nowadays, many youngsters would rather watch various videos and trailers than read books or articles. Although watching videos has its own merits including easy access, understandable and engaging content, there are still some disadvantages since excessive screen time can affect teenagers’ health and cognitive development.
On the one hand, using different videos regarding education can be highly beneficial and informative. First and foremost, one of the main advantages of watching videos is that they are available around the clock and can be accessed easily, which means that students can use them whenever they want in accordance with their time and scedule. Moreover, if they missed their lessons or didn’t understand the given material, they can easily find different videos and learn from them. Finally, these videos are more engaging compared to books. Their visual content combines images, sounds and movement, which makes it more attractive and entertaining for young people. For example, it is more interesting for children to watch attractive videos than read books, which do not always include illustrations. Consequently, they acquire information easily and their attention is kept during the learning process.
On the other hand, relying too much on videos can have a negative impact on health and other important skills. Reading develops children’s critical thinking, and imagination, while videos leave less room for these skills. For example, while reading books, children use their imagination in order to comprehend the situation, while watching videos reduces capacity for imagination since everything is shown. Moreover, spending excessive time watching videos can damage young people’s vision. For example, teenagers who spend hours watching videos may experience eye strain or headaches.
To sum up, although videos offer convenience, easy access and understandable content, there are still some drawbacks since spending excessive amount of time watching only videos may damage teenagers’ eye sight and their imaginative ability.