For almost 90 years Melbourne’s ‘Skipping Girl’ sign has lit up the Melbourne skyline as a neon symbol of kids’ vitality. Now she’s been switched off, with a new sign taking her place: Scrolling Girl.
The switch is part of a Dairy Farmers campaign, which is calling for more movement and Oomph for Aussie kids as new research shows school-aged kids spend nearly 3 times longer on screens than they do exercising daily.
The new YouGov research, commissioned by Dairy Farmers, shows teenagers aged 13 -17 are spending close to 3 hours a day on small screens, often at the expense of time being spent active.
Child and Adolescent Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said the research shows we’re in the middle of a lifestyle crisis with the excessive time kids spend on their phones affecting their exercise, sleep, diet, and wellbeing.
“Today we have replaced a play-based childhood with a screen-based childhood, which has resulted in much less physical activity outside of the home, with terrible consequences for children’s physical and psychological development.”
Skip to it
The grassroots Dairy Farmers campaign is in partnership with Team Kids, one of the country’s largest outside school hours care providers, with a term-long skipping challenge running in 270 Australian schools.
The campaign will distribute almost 8000 ropes to get Aussie kids moving. Global skipping icon Lauren Jumps, who has over 7 million followers, will also inspire kids to find a better balance between phone time and physical activity. Lauren Jumps will feature in a ‘skip off’ alongside world champion and Australia’s No.1 jump rope athlete Luke Boon, and Gold Coast Suns men’s and womens players on April 17 on the Gold Coast.
Bringing the Oomph
Bega Group’s Executive General Manager, Darryn Wallace, said Dairy Farmers has been bringing the Oomph of nourishment and dairy goodness to Aussie families for over 125 years.
“Dairy Farmers believe kids are born to move and today that’s about supporting families to find a healthy balance between being physically active and digitally connected,” he said. “This campaign is about raising awareness and offering positive, practical ways to help families bring more vitality and Oomph into everyday childhood.”
The ‘Skipping Girl’ sign will be switched off for the duration of the campaign.
