Screen time is the amount of time spent staring at computers, tablets, and smartphones, etc. It is an inseparable reality of modern childhood. It is known that children engage in more than two hours of screen time per day. And it’s apparent that most of them spend significantly more time on their devices than what their parents perceive it to be.
Furthermore, there are many ways to sharpen their developing brains and communication skills with the help of technology. But children are prone to harming their vision while doing so. The amount of screen time involved is enormous — the possible risks from too much screen time for kids that can be short-term or long-term. There is a connection between delayed cognitive development in kids with extended exposure to electronic media.
Symptoms such as poor behavior, bad academic performance, neck/shoulder pain, dry or irritated eyes, and reduced attention span. Additionally, screen time involves a high-energy visible light, called Blue light, that is emitted from the digital devices. Over time, this blue light affects the sleep/wake cycle, causing severe health conditions.
There is a higher risk of nearsightedness, also known as myopia. Children, at an early stage in life, tend to experience nearsightedness that exposes them to a higher risk of cataracts, glaucoma and retinal detachment in their later years. Scheduling annual eye exams is the best way to evaluate your child’s risk related to myopia.
Sleep disruption due to bad eye care can be very problematic for children, as it leads to daytime drowsiness, weight gain, and obesity-related health problems. Limiting blue light exposure at an early age is a great option. Wearing eyeglasses that filter or reduce the amount of blue light that enters the eyes from the long exposure of screen time may help reduce your child’s risk of eye problems in the future. Applying an anti-reflective coating on your regular eyeglasses can also block the blue light.
Creating screen time limits, that are already integrated into the apps on your devices, encouraging more playtime time with children proposing more human interaction, so that they are not left alone with the devices, help in eventually having less screen time. Sharing the same screen time with your children can build a bond, as well as the awareness of the frequency of screen time involved.
Subsequently, developing habits such as taking regular breaks from the devices, reducing brightness in the dark, and proper posture correction, can prove to be beneficial. Frequent breaks and posture corrections can also be of immense help in the long term.
A 20/20 screen time method can be used wherein children are allowed to use their digital device for 20 minutes, after which the next 20 minutes are supposed to be taken as a break from it. This method provides downtime for your kid’s screen time in intervals.
Finally, schedule annual eye checkups with an eye care specialist near you, to monitor your child’s vision and eye health, ensuring a clear and comfortable vision. You can also ask for certain blue light protection options for your children.
Schedule an appointment at ISight for the best treatment from an eye specialist in Mumbai today.
