Some schools offer distance learning as an option for students to attend classes from home by way of online courses or video conferencing. While lots of people view this option as an accomplishment, others dislike the idea of having to sit at a computer and do schoolwork all day long. Many people believe that online schools can actually be damaging to a student rather than helpful, because it is less interactive than a physical school, causes students to stare at computer screens, which can damage eye sight, and has the possibility to crash or shut down, whereas a physical classroom would not encounter these issues. An actual school would appropriately strengthen a child rather than a digital school.

If there is one thing that every parent knows about children, it is that they love to move. They love to play games and have fun with their friends. They love to do anything that is interactive and can get them to move around just a little more. An online school, unfortunately, does not offer this to a child. When working on an class online someone would have to sit still in a chair, staring at a computer screen without very much movement. That could be harmful to a child because, usually, they cannot sit still for a long period of time. This is only going to cause an increase of energy in them without them letting it out of their system and, sometimes, loss of concentration. When I took an online course in French I would work half the day on the computer until I was just too tired to work anymore. Sitting at a computer for hours mentally exhausted me. Not only will it exhaust the student, but it also isolates the child from other students. Typically, these online classes take place for one individual student. This, in turn, teaches them not to socialize with other children and fails to let kids make friends, whereas physical classrooms endorse these behaviors in students at a young age.

Not only does online schooling effect a student's physical health, it can effect their cognitive health as well. Studies at the NYU Medical School have shown that 46% of children under twelve years old who stare at digital screens for long periods of time are more likely to experience vision loss in their eyes later on in life. Dr. Theresa Summers even said that, "The radiation from the screen can possibly do some permanent damage to someone's eyes that may need surgery to completely fix." Because parents let their children have so much access to technology at such a young age they do not realize how hurtful it can be for their eyes in their later years. So while exposing a young prodigy to online courses seems to be a great option mentally, it can actually do more harm than good.

Online school resource are also not very dependable. Sometimes, technology can fail and crash. Many people have lost progress or assignments because a internet connection was lost or a computer program crashed. This can really set the student back in their class. When I took my online class in French many of the videos I had to watch for assignments were not able to load no matter how many times I tried, which forced me to turn in my work incomplete. This significantly brought my grade down in that class. It is hard to understand the technology that is supposed to help you finish your work on time and frustrating when it doesn't work, which then only adds more stress on the student.

Online school is, unfortunately, not a very wise option for any child to enroll in school. While it does have very positive aspects, such as a personalized learning program and an online chat with a teacher, a more traditional route would be a safer and less stressful option. Physical, brick-and-mortar schools are a much more adequate learning environment for a young prodigy.