Given that the holidays are just around the horizon, many parents will be out shopping for tablet computers, computer games, and other screen-based gadgets for their children. What is unknown is whether or not these gadgets will create problems for their vision.
Children may be more flexible than adults, allowing them to endure pain better than their parents or guardians can. While this is generally a good development, when it comes to gazing at screens, youngsters may not be aware of the need to shift their gaze if there is an excessive amount of glare in their environment. Because of a refractive defect such as nearsightedness, individuals may not even be aware that they have blurred vision, creating further eyestrain. Maintaining your child’s eyesight by having it examined by an eye doctor or visit us or visit Dr Kamdar hospital, at least once a year can help avoid this. Examine any televisions and computer displays for glare and reflections in the home, and adjust them as required.
Why Is There Increased Use of Digital Devices by Children?
- The COVID-19 epidemic also had a significant impact on the increasing use of digital gadgets. It had a significant impact on the whole educational system. Children have become increasingly reliant on digital gadgets as a result of the pandemic.
- During a pandemic, children’s health is put at risk both outside the house and within the home due to the excessive use of digital gadgets. The epidemic has a significant impact on children’s education as well as their health. Schools’ lecture halls are transformed into computer or laptop displays for students to use at home.
- Children must spend the majority of their time on their mobile phones and the internet to do their homework, participate in online courses, and participate in various other activities. The COVID-19 epidemic prevents youngsters from participating in numerous outdoor activities such as playing, cycling, and other sports.
- Parents nowadays offer their children phones to use while doing housework to keep them quiet. Children have mastered the use of cell phones from an early age in their formative years.
Common Eye problems:
Keeping one’s gaze fixed on a screen for an extended period may result in a variety of eye-related issues, are more than 75% of teens have their social media accounts on social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. The COVID-19 pandemic also contributed a lot to the growing use of digital devices. It had changed the whole education system. Pandemic has made children more dependent on digital devices; many eye-related problems such as following:
- Impairment in posture:Using a digital device for an extended period in the same position may create muscular strain and tension, resulting in pain throughout the body, with the eyes, head, and neck being the most affected.
- Myopia (nearsightedness): An increase in screen time among youngsters is also associated with the development and progression of nearsightedness in the long term.
- Increased exposure to blue light:The blue light produced by electronic gadgets is very damaging to children’s eyes and mental well-being. It has been linked to recurrent headaches, tiredness, and sleep disturbances in some people. You may also make use of the eye protection function, which is now accessible on most smartphone.
- Blurry vision: It is caused by staring at the same distance for an extended period, which causes the eye’s focusing mechanism to spasm. It is observed when the kid looks away from the television for a period when everything gets hazy. Children who spend a lengthy period concentrating on digital gadgets without blinking their eyes are said to have dry eyes. The moisture content of the eyes is readily evaporated due to the high transpiration rate. It produces dry eyes and pain in the eyes as a consequence of this condition.
How to Manage the Digital Device Usage Time in Children?
Nowadays, it is essential to regulate the use of digital devices by children to protect them from various negative health consequences. What can you do as a parent to keep your child’s gadget use under control? You may put the following techniques into effect:
- Please do not allow your children to sleep with their cell phones in their pockets. Request that they refrain from using any electronic devices for one hour before going to bed.
- Make supper a media-free zone by turning off the television and putting the smartphone on ‘do not disturb’ throughout the meal.
- Please encourage your children to participate in various activities, such as sports, exercise, and conversing with one another as they grow.
- When utilizing cellphones or computers, you should also encourage the use of the 20-20-20 rule. A person should look away from a computer screen after every 20 minutes and concentrate on an item located at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This is known as the “20-20-20 rule.”
- Taking a few minutes’ breaks from the screen after every hour is something you may urge your children to do.
- Blinking often may help to decrease the likelihood of developing dry eyes. You may request that your kid blinks more often.
- According to the experts, you may also adhere to the 1/2/10 rule, which specifies the optimal distance between digital gadgets and your eyes while using them. For example, the distance between a mobile phone and a laptop or desktop computer is one foot. The distance between a television and a computer is two feet. The distance between a television and a computer is about ten feet.
- It is preferable to get your child’s eyes examined regularly to keep their eyes healthy.
Conclusion: As a result, the usage of digital gadgets is becoming more prevalent every day. In the same way, it magnifies the negative effects of the drug, particularly in youngsters. Parents must make sure that their children are not exposed to digital gadgets in an excessive amount of time. Limiting your kid’s exposure to electronic devices and encouraging participation in different indoor activities such as chatting, reading, and other such activities may help protect your child from various eye issues. It also contributes to the improvement of mental wellness.