Our children are born in the digital age. Instead of the metaphorical silver spoon children these days are born with mobile phones and an instinct to operate them better than most millennial adults. While the digital age has its virtues, the vices are not far along either. Yes, children have access to knowledge and information beyond their years and what seemed like an impossibility back in your days, but at what cost? The time to be spent on socializing and playing games outdoors in the fresh air is being spent crammed in their rooms in front of the idiot box.
One of the vices of the advent of the digital age is an early onset of eye fatigue in children. Children as young as three and four years of age show symptoms of eye fatigue due to the excess screen time. Computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, phablets, video games, television etc. are the present-day screen time drugs that have kids addicted. Most parents know how humongous a task it is to get children away from the screen. Even when you do manage getting them away from the screen, it is usually followed by bouts of tantrums, nagging, crying to name a few.
Eye fatigue is becoming a rather common ailment with its symptoms of
are becoming increasingly evident in kids and adults alike. While screen time is a major culprit, spending too much time reading in bad lighting or from a screen are also sizeable causes for discomfort in the eyes.
The human eye usually blinks up to 18 time a minute, which significantly decreases when working on a screen, causing the eyes to dry up due to lack of moisture. Prolonged dryness causes discomfort and fatigue in the eyes since the eyes must work extra hard to keep up with the activities.
While eye fatigue is an uncomfortable and annoying ailment, it can easily be remedies and prevented. Here's how
1. Screen time for kids should be restricted to at most an hour in a single sitting. They should be encouraged to go outside and play in fresh air.
2. Adjust the lighting in the room to make it so that your eyes are not strained when looking ta the screen or reading.
3. Keep the screen clean and use a glare filter over the screen.
4. Teach the kids to maintain a certain minimum distance from the screen when using it. A smaller device like the smart phone should be kept at a distance of at least 20-26 inches if not more.
5. Fatigued dry eyes should be relaxed by closing them and placing a warm washcloth over it.
6. One can use a humidifier and filter to ensure enough clean humid air in the room for the eyes to stay moist.
7. Adjust the brightness of the screen and the lighting in the room so that your eyes are not strained and glare in negligible.
Follow these simple tips to keep your child's doors of knowledge healthy and ever welcoming.
