How to Prevent Digital Eye Strain
| by Megan McCoy Dellecese
22
As our kids get older , life gets more complicated . Harder assignments . Bigger emotions . Scarier topics . We do our best to provide a nurturing environment for them to vent and relax and just be themselves while hoping to maintain safe boundaries .
One thing that skyrockets when children start reaching their tween years is that their digital use . Whether at school , with friends , or in their own homes , there are plenty of opportunities for tweens ( an age that can start as young as 9 and go up to 14 ) to engage with technology . And it ’ s not just computers anymore ; it can range from tablets and iPads to their own personal cell phones , all designed to stay close to the person and in very frequent use .
The first thing we often think about is online safety , as we should . Being aware of what our kids are clicking and watching , maintaining strict rules for social media , and selecting a parental block setting is imperative to hope to stay abreast of the dangers that screen time can bring . Regular honest , open dialogue ( no matter how difficult for both parent and child ) is also a great deterrent for tweens to feel they have a safe zone to discuss the virtual world they ’ re learning to navigate .
But , studies are starting to show that there are other dangers that widespread technology use can bring .
Think about how you feel after a marathon session of flipping between your favorite social media apps , news stories , feeds , recipes , gorgeous pics , and the like . You put your phone down and almost feel like you see a halo and fund yourself blinking . Your neck and shoulders may feel tense , either from the nature of the stressful news you ’ ve been reading or the angle at which you ’ ve been browsing . Sure , it goes away , but over time it can lead to eye strain , headaches , migraines , and overall aches and pains .
Well , consider the long-term effects that this may have just for your child ’ s eyes if they start their extensive screen use as early as 8 , 9 , or 10 . Over the years , the so-called “ blue light ” ( the thing that we recognize as a device being “ backlit ”) that causes your eye strain is being shown to damage retinal cells . This light penetrates further into the eye than ultraviolet light , damaging the retina by exposing it to a greater spike in intensity .
While there are times that this light actually poses positive effects such as alertness , some long-term side effects may include earlier rates of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration . Beyond the eye , blue light has also been known to disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing the natural release of melatonin . As we all know , sleep deprivation can influence a child ’ s mood , attentiveness during learning and other