Study (room) facts for kids
A study, also called a home office, is a special room in a house. People use it for things like doing homework, working on a computer, or reading a book quietly.
Long ago, the study was often just for the main adult in the house, like a parent, to do their private work or read. But today, many families use studies for different reasons. Sometimes, it's where someone runs a home business, or it can be a space for the whole family to use for schoolwork or hobbies.
What's Inside a Study?
A typical study usually has a desk and a comfortable chair. You might also find a computer, lamps for reading, and bookshelves filled with books. File cabinets are often there to keep important papers organized.
Sometimes, a spare bedroom is turned into a study. But many newer homes are built with a room specifically designed to be a study. Other names for these types of rooms include a den, a home office, or even a small home library. A "study room" can also mean a shared workspace in a school or office.
A Look at History
The idea of a study came from small, private rooms called "closets" or "cabinets" during the Renaissance period. As more people learned to read in the 1700s, middle-class families started having special study and library areas in their larger homes. These rooms were quiet places where people could do business work, read, write letters, and keep records without being disturbed.
For a long time, mostly men used these domestic studies. For example, in the 1800s, a clergyman might prepare his sermons or meet with people in his study. Meanwhile, his wife, who was also educated, would handle social visits in a nearby parlour.
The Internet has changed the study a lot. What used to be a local workspace has become today's home office. New technology lets people work from home using the Internet, email, online shopping, and video calls. This is called remote work.
In Britain, government numbers show that 4.2 million people worked only from home in 2014. That's a big jump of 31% from the number in 1998!
How COVID-19 Changed Studies
The COVID-19 pandemic made many more people work or study from home. This greatly increased the need for rooms that could be used for remote work.
A survey by Gallup in September 2021 found that 45% of full-time workers in the U.S. were doing some kind of remote work. About 25% worked from home all the time, and 20% worked from home part of the time. This shows how important home offices and studies became during the pandemic.
Images for kids
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A robot, symbolizing technology often found in a modern study.
