Vision and Screen Time: 7 Tips To Safeguard Children From Digital Eye Strain

Sudden overexposure to screen leads to dryness and stinging sensation in the eyes, headaches, and most probably neck and back pain. Children are often loaded with electronic gadgets or games that can hurt their eyes and can increase digital eye strain. If your kid is more into electronic gadgets, then here are some tips to safeguard their eyes from digital strain.

1- Protection from Blue light – The exact damage from blue light is not known and may take years to figure out. However, concerns and preliminary observation gives us an idea of its damaging nature. Hence under these considerations, it is important to protect children’s eyes from blue light from both natural and artificial sources. The solution to this problem is polarised glasses as they protect us from glare and harmful light. For adults who are not comfortable with glasses, photochromic lenses are advisable.

2- Breaks – There are many rules such as the 20-20-20 rule which states that the individual must take a break of 20 seconds every 20 minutes and try to focus on an object 20 feet away. This task relaxes our eyes and shifts our focus, helping our eye muscles and reducing digital strain. There also must be a break for your eyes where you close them and prevent any exposure. It is also important to move your body so every hour little movement should be done.

3- Blink regularly – While our eyes are focused on a screen we blink less often, this will dry out our eyes. So, it is important to blink regularly to moisturize our eyes. Blinking will also reduce glare and help you retain your focus while you stare at the multitudes of color on the screen.

4- Distancing from the screen – It is important that the screen is below our eye level as looking up requires our eyes to open wider. Also, the distance of screens should follow the 1/2/10 rule where 1 foot for mobile phones, 2 feet for desktop and laptops, and 10 feet for television and projectors.

5- Healthy eye food – Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin A-rich vegetables and greens must a part of our diet. As most of us work from home it is important to have a diet that is beneficial for our eye health.

6- Proper posture and etiquette – It is mandatory to keep our body in proper posture while sitting where tense neck muscles are slowly relaxed while moving up and down and right and left. Screen etiquette includes proper brightness, resolution, and contrast adjustment and also no squinting.

7- Establishing a screen-free time – Allotment of time for exercise, proper eating of meals, and activities that require less focusing of eyes for at least 2 hours daily. This will help in adjusting the eyes to the natural light around us and maintain good eye health.

Over to you

As the whole world is now indoors due to the pandemic and everyone’s lifestyle now includes many hours of screen time, it is of utmost importance to take proper care of the eyes. Do follow the above-written tips to keep the eyes safe and sound.