Screen Time for Your Child’s Eyes: Tips for Healthy Digital Habits

Eye strain from screen time perhaps isn’t something you think about a lot, but once it affects your child, it is difficult not to notice. Protecting your eyes from computer or mobile screens is more important than ever, but effectively understanding your children’s eye care and timely introducing screen eye protection measures can help protect your kid’s eyes.

Introducing healthy screen habits  

One of the parents’ biggest concerns with children and technology is screen time and when to limit it. Screen time has some benefits, especially if they use educational apps or connect with family and friends. But risks associated with too much screen time include behavioural issues, obesity, irregular sleep patterns, impaired academic performance, and Desensitization to violence. There is no ideal period for how much screen time is appropriate. Instead of focusing on a specific time, focus on helping your child make a balance.

You can begin by creating healthy screen habits for yourself. If your kid sees you constantly using your phone, they will likely do the same. You can set screen time or establish an alarm if your child likes to play on a phone or computer/laptop screen. Parents can control different control software, allowing them to put a curfew to turn off their digital devices at a certain time each night. If your kid is older, you must guide them through their technology use and avoid putting strict parental controls in place. This helps makes your kids aware of appropriate content and online privacy and encourages them to be safe online instead of trying to control their usage.

How to protect your child’s eye from a computer screen?

The use of digital media among children has increased dramatically and begins earlier in childhood.  Excessive use of technology among children is associated with a risk for eye problems, obesity, poor sleep quality, poorer school performance, risky behaviour in older children, and delays in younger children’s cognition, learning, and social skills. Especially spending more hours staring at a screen can cause eye strain. Some steps must be taken to maintain eye health computer screen time must be reduced first. Other tips to protect eyes from computer screens include:

1. 1. Have your child regular eye exams- An abrupt vision could indicate eye and health Regular eye checkups help keep your eye health in check and ensure any problems your child might have aren’t anything other than normal eye strain. It is also a great idea regarding health optometry, providing an excellent opportunity to get advice from an eye care specialist.
   2. Introduce high-resolution screens: Higher-resolution displays generally have a higher density of pixels per inch than standard television screens. This high pixel density makes the images sharper and clearer because our eyes can’t distinguish individual pixels as easily.
   3. Reduce blue light: You can reduce blue light by reducing the colour temperature of your screen or by making your kids wear specialist glasses. It is best for long-term usage.
   4. Get an anti-reflective screen protector: Computer or smartphone screens are glossy, but matte screen protectors provide an old LCD finish. They help protect the screen and reduce glare from ambient light and sunshine. An eye screen protector is associated with a reduced incidence of eye irritation, strain, and fatigue.
   5. Ask your kid to blink frequently: Children become so focused on the content that they stare at the device. Blinking means keeping our eyes moist and refocusing our eyes. Ask your child to do it often to avoid strain and dryness.
   6. Sleep helps eye problems: Healthy eye care begins with healthy lifestyle habits, which include getting enough sleep. Reduce your child’s screen time at night and encourage them to sleep on time.

Research-based solutions to help kids

Let’s face the truth; technology companies do not develop new devices and techniques to keep our kids and teens in mind.  Only parents and caregivers can help kids learn to stay safe and healthy with digital habits. So where do families start? Guidelines introduced by the American Academy of Paediatrics suggest the amount of screen time that is healthy for each stage of development. Parents can also incorporate these habits at home starting in early childhood, as this help support vision care and build healthy digital habits. Whether you love technology or hate digital devices, your kids and teenagers will inherit a digital future. Digital amputation is not a solution.

You need to introduce healthy and helpful digital habits, so they do not become a slave to the screen. Below you will find some research-based solutions to ensure that your child’s digital habit is healthy and not harmful:

1. 1. Starting the technical conversation: If you think your children are old enough to use technology independently, you can start by communicating about the security of your kid’s devices. Even if you control them well, your child could become a victim of scams and cyberbullying.

Once you make sure all the security measures are in place, you can discuss with your child your expectations of safety associated with safety. Make them believe technology is fun and useful, but nothing comes without risks. So be sure to let your children know how to identify suspicious behaviour. You can also introduce these tips on how you can keep their information private, which include:

• • • • Not using passwords for different sites or applications
      • Avoiding sharing personal details with anyone

Educating your children about how to stay safe while using technology is important.

1. 2. Encourage other activities: there will always be enough screen time, but it shouldn’t completely compromise your kid’s physical and mental well-being. Sometimes, technology can help reduce stress, but it’s as important for them to find other ways to turn.

For example, spending more time outdoors is one of the best ways to eliminate screens. Encourage outdoor learning by simply taking a nature walk or playing eyes spy. Spending time outdoors benefits your child’s mental and physical health. Getting outdoors can help maintain a healthier balance, especially when they spend much time using technology.

Regular exercise, playing music, art, writing, or even cooking can enhance your child’s physical and mental health while allowing them to spend more time away from the screen. Serve their interest, and they will be more likely to go with activities that do not include using a mobile or computer screen without complaining about boredom or requiring technology to enjoy.

1. 3. Be the pilot of the digital plane:  Kids need guidance about safely utilizing the technology. This is because their developing brains mean children are vulnerable to many online risks and the additive technology poses. If parents take the pilot seat, they can help them to course correctly so that when they hit digital turbulence (exposure to cyberbullying, digital dependence, and online predators) won’t crash the plane.

Conclusion

Research has consistently shown that children have recently been exposed to high screen time, and parents struggle to manage the time demands and moods. In the end, it’s all up to you to set rules and boundaries when it comes to developing healthy digital habits. But instead of focusing on limitations and cutting off their screen time, build your strategy to help them stick to a healthy balance that will adhere with them into adulthood.