HYDERABAD: Study from home is the mantra for school children post Covid-19. This means extra long hours of sitting in front of computer or TV screens. Can this sudden shift affect the eyes of children? We talk to experts to know more. Dr Himani Narula Khanna, a developmental and behavioural paediatrician and director of Continua Kids, says: “Spending too much time in front of computer and phone screens can lead to watering and drying of eyes, and headaches. It can affect our sleep cycle too.
The blue light emitted by the devices can push back sleep schedule by 2-3 hours. That is why, most of the schools which are conducting virtual classes are providing 5-minute breaks between classes, and after three or more classes, they are giving a breather of 20 minutes. Besides classes, children spend time on phones to play video games, watch videos etc. Parents must take care to monitor how much unproductive time their kids are spending with electronic devices.” She adds, “Too much screen exposure among toddlers can impair their social and communication skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero screen time till a child is two years old. Between 2-6 years, they recommend only one hour of interactive screen time.
After 6 years, only two hours is recommended per day. Excessive screen time can affect the attention span of children too. That is why, it is necessary to engage the child in other activities like exercising, playing board games, finishing small household chores etc.” However, Dr Siva Kumar, an opthalmologist from Hyderabad, who offers consultations on Lybrate.com, says that there are no clear-cut studies to observe and quantify the losses and problems our eyes might undergo due to long exposure to screens. “Other factors like the screen quality, ambience light, distance of the device from the eyes need to be considered. So, it is difficult to provide one-size-fits-all advice. However, certain precautions can be taken in general. Screen brightness is one of them.
Depending on its size, a screen should be at an appropriate distance from the viewer. The children should preferably sit straight while facing the screen, and the brightness and contrast levels must be as low as possible.” The best way to keep children’s eyes healthy is to get them checked regularly by an opthalmologist. He adds, “Unfortunately, no one does it in our country until the child complains of some issue, but check-up is mandatory. Sometimes, one of the eyes might have a low refractive error, and a child might not complain about this. In this case, the weaker eye remains weak, and the stronger eye continues to work more. Such children might easily get tired after a couple of hours of virtual classes.”
Eyecare tips
People must adequately blink when working on screens.
Avoid keeping the device close to eyes.
Monitor screen time
Healthy diet rich in carotenoids such as carrots, spinach, pumpkins, and green leafy vegetables, and adequate sleep are necessary. Regular eye check-up is strongly recommended.
Avoid keeping the device close to eyes
— Kakoli Mukherjee kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com @kakoliMukherje2