Riverview parents concerned over students’ screen time

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This article was published 09/12/2022 (1042 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Elementary parent concerns about excessive — and at times, unmonitored — screen time at a Fort Rouge public school reached a new height this week, after Christmas-themed horror stories were screened for their seven- and eight-year-olds.

A handful of guardians from École Riverview School have contacted the Free Press with ongoing frustrations about inappropriate content being viewed in classrooms, both when a substitute is working and during lunchtime.

“I don’t hate fun. I’m not a stick-in-the-mud parent. I’m OK with them watching shows and I’m even OK with them watching fun shows that aren’t always educational — but not everyday, and someone needs to monitor the content to make sure it’s appropriate,” said Jason Brown, a father of two at the nursery to Grade 6 school in the Winnipeg School Division.

The subject has been discussed at multiple parent advisory council meetings since the 2022-23 academic year got underway.

Brown said administrators confirmed last month they had looked into community members’ concerns and were not concerned because only educational content was being shown.

The incident Monday — during which “a slightly horrifying Christmas video” was played for a Grade 2/3 class — proves that is not always the case, the parent said.

A substitute teacher played a YouTube video entitled “3 Nightmarish True Christmas Horror Stories,” posted by user “Mr. Nightmare,” according to several parents whose children reported watching the strange video.

The 13-minute-long clip features winter- and holiday-themed stock images overlaying a narrator recalling different scary tales with haunting music in the background.

One of the stories is about a little boy who comes across a criminal he believes is Santa Claus while he is getting a glass of water in the middle of the night. The character helps the boy get back to bed and when the family wakes up, they learn they have been robbed.

The other tales are about a man stalking a mall security guard, and an individual who secretly lived in the attic of a family’s home — only to be discovered when the narrator was putting away decorations.

Multiple children told their parents another video shown by the substitute that day included “the F word.”

One parent said their child has had nightmares related to the videos.

“(These films) are completely inappropriate for age seven, nevermind if the kids were 12. I don’t understand why any teacher would show this in school,” said the parent, who agreed to an interview on the condition of anonymity to protect their child’s identity.

The parent said they are worried YouTube is being used far too often as a distraction rather than educational resource, and it is unnecessary during snack and lunch periods.

During the lunch hour, when students are in different classrooms and monitors pop in and out of them, cartoons and other content is often played — in turn, distracting students from eating and socializing, multiple parents told the Free Press.

Since Brown’s youngest is a slow eater and gets distracted by the videos, he said she started coming home with full lunch bags in September; the uneaten food made him question the screen time at school in the first place.

“I have a ton of forgiveness. I understand mistakes happen — I’m OK with that, but what I want to know is: what’s the plan now?” the father said.

“Because to me… inappropriate video content is a result of watching videos all the time in general, which is a result of underfunding, understaffing.”

Substitute coverage has been in high demand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, given various illnesses have prompted students and staff alike to spend more time at home.

The Winnipeg School Division’s communications manager declined to provide comment, citing an ongoing investigation into the “alleged incident” at Riverview.

In an email, spokeswoman Radean Carter said the school board has developed a draft policy to provide guidance on lunchtime supervision. It has yet to be put into motion, Carter said.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie