Screen Time Problems

Screen Time Tips

-It looks like our kiddos will be spending a lot of extra time on computer screens this year for school which is not great for their eyes. Below are some tips to help you and your children deal with the extra screen time:

-The screen should be as far away as possible. Arm’s length or beyond is a good general rule. The height of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level (not above).

-Illumination of the screen should match that of the room. Meaning, they should not be sitting in a dark room with a bright screen. Don’t have a lamp shining on the screen as it will cause glare.

-The 20/20/20 rule: For every 20 minutes of screen time look 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Our eyes need breaks and don’t do well with very extended periods of near viewing without a break.

-Blink rate: our blink rate goes down automatically about 60% every time we are on a device. This wreaks havoc on our tears leading to burning, redness, etc. You have to remember to blink!

-If your child wears glasses, they should have what is called an anti-glare or anti-reflective coat on the lenses. This cuts down on glare from the screen and provides considerable relief from eyestrain. Newer generation of anti-glare coats also offer blue light protection.

-If the device your child is on has an option to lower the blue light, I would do this. We know that too much blue light disrupts our sleep cycle.

-Most importantly, make sure your child has their annual eye exam (all of your children have mandatory vision insurance through their medical insurance whether you know it or not and the copay is minimal). If they are farsighted or have astigmatism and are not corrected for this, it will just add additional strain.

-If you are worried about your kids becoming nearsighted from all this extra screen time, this is a valid fear. Make sure your child gets adequate outdoor time once school is done each day. Studies show that outdoor time is protective against a child becoming nearsighted.