More than 2.7 million students across the United States are taking part in digital learning. According to a study by the Evergreen Education Group, 30 states offer fully online schools and 26 provide state virtual high schools.

Even though many people believe that online school is better, face-to-face education provides more opportunities for learning.

The obvious benefit of attending a traditional, face-to-face learning high school, is that daily interaction teaches social skills.  Social skills are an integral part of functioning in society. Displaying good manners, communicating effectively with others, being considerate of the feelings of others and expressing personal needs are all important components of solid social skills. Although the recommended grade to enroll a student in online school is 7th grade, because they already had enough interaction with other students, social skills are not fully developed by 7th grade and there is still much to learn.

Another benefit of attending a traditional school is that it requires physical activity. Whether the activity is in an athletic or physical education class, marching band, or even just walking to and from the parking lot and between classes, it is physical activity that does not occur with an online school.  Statistics show that teens should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. If a student spends their day sitting behind a computer, that is an opportunity missed to promote better health.

Online learning also takes away the advantage of having a real-life teacher present for help and guidance. Typing a question then waiting for a virtual teacher to type a response back is not the same as having an in-person conversation where a student can get instant feedback, tutorials, or additional explanation.

In a world where technology is at the center of our everyday lives, we should acknowledge it’s limitations and know where it does and doesn’t belong. Online schools, especially in high school, puts students at a great disadvantage when compared to traditional, face-to-face learning environments.