With mobiles, iPads and smartphones seemingly ubiquitous these days, it will perhaps be reassuring to some people to know that traditional playground pastimes are still taking preference over gadgets in some Jersey schools.
Apparently, it’s not a one-off, however, and children at Trinity Primary School forego hand-held gadgets each day to play hopscotch, hula-hoop, football and other outdoor activities.
Teacher Nichola Turner said: ‘The children really enjoy active and healthy games, in particular those which involve playing together as part of a team. They love to co-operate with one another.’
It’s encouraging to see – and the parents must be delighted to have children return home who have expended some energy – but it seems that young Islanders generally are not getting as much exercise as school pupils once did.
While results this month from the Young People’s Health Survey show positive signs that fewer young people are smoking and drinking, there were still some worrying statistics, including the fact that only one in five young people are physically active for at least an hour seven times a week.
It also revealed that around half of 14-15 year olds watched two or more hours of TV the day before the survey, compared to 28% of 10-11 year olds, and that one in seven 14-15 year old males reported spending five or more hours playing computer games the day before the survey.
Over half of 14-15 year olds reported spending 2 or more hours using a computer for chatting online, emailing, internet etc the day before the survey.
One Jersey teenager who might disagree that a sedentary lifestyle is bad for you is 18-year-old Chris Dixon, who is earning over £100,000 a year – for playing video games in his bedroom.
Chris became a YouTube sensation after posting videos of himself playing the football game Fifa online, with more than 380,000 people subscribing to his online channel – more than pop superstar Rihanna and football legend David Beckham combined.
And the teenager, who goes by the name ChrisMD online, has even decided not to go to university in favour of pursuing his online career.
In the last couple of years, the amount of money that can be made through advertising revenue on YouTube has risen dramatically, with the most popular online stars earning millions of pounds.
The former Victoria College student posts around four videos a week, with each receiving hundreds of thousands of views. The more clicks his videos receive, the more companies are willing to pay for pre-video advertising space.
