The benefits of teaching SEL through health and physical education

Torn between their screens and a chance to play sports outside, schoolchildren in the US may be neglecting their social and emotional (SEL) development by opting for mind-numbing games online and a continuous reel of cartoons. According to the recent The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens 2019 report, more than half of US children now own a smartphone by the age of 11, while American teenagers are currently spending seven hours, 22 minutes per day on average with screen media, not counting schoolwork or homework. With so much time spent distracted by tech, is there any time left for these schoolchildren and teenagers to work on their SEL progress? According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, SEL relates to the development of a vast range of non-academic skills that are increasingly considered essential to student success.