There are many reasons to set limits on your child’s screen time: To encourage outdoor play and healthy activity, to foster healthy sleep habits and to promote in-person social relationships. Eye health is another.
But with more and more of our lives lived in front of screens – whether it’s for work, school, entertainment, socialization, or exercise – how can parents set realistic limits and guidelines for their families?
Eye problems caused by excessive screen time
Here are some of the ways screen time can affect kids’ eyes.
Eye fatigue
Eye fatigue — called asthenopia — is characterized by eye discomfort, dimness of vision and headache. Asthenopia can be caused by overuse of the eye, for example during a period of prolonged focus on a screen. Any glare on the screen can further strain the eyes.
Children with eye fatigue may complain of headaches, eye pain, or feeling tired, headaches. They may lose interest in tasks such as reading.
Another issue is that kids focus so intensely on their screens. This prolonged close-focus attention adds to fatigue. Our eyes need breaks from close-up focus.
Dry and irritated eyes
The eyes can also get dry and irritated during long stretches of screen use. Studies show that people of all ages blink far less often when concentrating on a screen, which in turn causes the eyes to dry out. A clear and stable tear film on the eye surface is essential for clear vision. This problem can be worse for children who may have to look up at a screen that’s positioned for adult use.
Loss of focus flexibility
When children’s eyes stay focused close-up for long periods, they can find it difficult to adjust to distance vision later. Generally, that’s a short-term problem, and the eyes adjust back to their normal flexibility.
Beyond the eyes: impact on sleep and overall health
Screen time can also disturb kids’ sleep. First of all, the exciting content of many video games and movies can wind a child up when they should be winding down for bed or a nap.
Second, research shows that when computers and similar devices are used in the evening, the blue light they emit alters the brain’s sleep rhythms. The brain reads the screen light as “daytime” and shifts the body’s circadian rhythm.
A better strategy is to practice consistent, healthy habits to protect your child’s eyes during screen time. And when it comes to sleep, the best thing you can do is limit screen time, particularly in the hours before bedtime. Aim for no devices or screens for one hour before bedtime.
Help your child practice good eye habits
Most families can’t — and don’t want to — completely remove screened devices from their children’s lives. They’re part of living in the modern world. What you can do is protect your child’s eyes by teaching them healthy screen time habits.
The 20-20-20-2 rule
Since focusing on a “near task” — such as reading, writing or staring at a screen — increases the demand on eyes’ microscopic focusing system, eyes need a break to reset their focusing systems. Use the “20-20-20-2 rule.” During any concentrated visual task, encourage your child to break focus every 20 minutes, focus on something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds, and blink 20 times. This allows the eyes to relax and to return to their natural position and baseline settings. (Adults should use this trick too!)
Kids aren’t always the best judge of time, especially when they’re engrossed in a game or movie, so consider using a timer to encourage those breaks.
incourage then for outdoor activities for atleast two hours
Screen size and distance
The smaller and closer a screen is, the harder your child’s eyes must work to focus on it. If possible, encourage your child to work on a larger screen, such as a laptop or desktop computer, rather than a small phone screen.
Disclaimer :Information on the site is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
