Children Are Getting Worse at Making Eye Contact

According to a recent article in Education Week, children are getting worse at making eye contact.  

Eye contact is paramount when communicating. Using eye contact shows respect, leadership and confidence.

Children are getting worse at it according to a national survey.

This may not surprise you. 

The article states that 62% of teachers and principals have noticed this decline. 

“That decline is likely rooted in the isolation of the pandemic and the proliferation of cellphones and social media use, educators say, and it’s a symptom of the overall atrophying of kids’ social skills”.

Overall, teachers are noticing a general decline in manners and all social skills, especially peer to peer.

Why Are Children Worse at Eye Contact

In our culture, strong eye contact is expected.  It portrays us as confident, respectful and interested. 

When we break eye contact it might be construed as submissive or that we lack self-confidence.

 At times, only mentioning eye contact -pointing it out to the student makes an impact. 

Phones are one of the main reasons children have lost this very important social skill. Many students are not comfortable with face-to-face communication.

Lack of eye contact is also a lingering factor of the pandemic. 

Here Is How You Can Help Students with Eye Contact

Create role-playing activities (this is included in the Manners To Go curriculum) that include conversations with other students 

Greet your students every morning with a handshake or “good morning” and point out when they are making eye contact

Ask them to notice how they feel when using good eye contact

Related Article: Elementary School Lesson Plans and Tips to Teach Eye Contact

Start Teaching Manners Today in Your Classroom