Screen time used to mean TV time, when kids sat in front of the tube to watch their favourite cartoons and children’s programs. Today, however, screen time has also come to mean using digital devices, from smartphones and tablets to computers.
Much like watching too much television, excessive screen time can have negative effects on the eyes.
The Effects of Prolonged Screen Time
On average, school-aged children, from 6 to 14, spend more than two hours per day watching TV and using smartphones and computers. As new electronic devices are introduced to younger kids, screen time increases as well. Too much screen time leads to digital eye strain and may also cause vision problems like asthenopia (eye fatigue) and nearsightedness.
Advances in medical technology have created innovative procedures, like pediatric Ortho-K, which uses specially designed contact lenses to reshape the curvature of the eye, correcting
vision problems. However, preventing digital strain is still the ideal approach.
What is a suitable screen schedule for young children? What can you do to prevent eye strain and vision problems in your kids?
How Much Is Too Much Screen Time?
Is one hour per day ideal, or would two hours be safe for kids? Screen time will depend on the age of your kids.
According to the World Health Organization guidelines, the following screen times are recommended for children.
- Infants (under 1 year): Screen time is not recommended.
- 1-year-olds: Avoid screen time entirely.
- 2-year-olds: WHO guidelines limit screen time to a maximum of one hour or less for toddlers at this age. But some authorities, like the U.S. Department of Health, recommend no screen time at all since a child’s vision is still developing at this age.
- 3 to 4 years old: Keep screen time to no more than one hour per day.
What an ophthalmologist in Dubai recommends may also be what an ophthalmologist in the UK recommends on screen time for your kids, since both professionals will likely follow WHO guidelines.
Of course, knowing the suitable screen schedule isn’t the same as implementing it.
Limiting Screen Time for Your Kids
It’s easier to control screen time for much younger children aged three to seven. It’s more challenging to do the same for older kids, from the age of eight to 16.
Here are some ideas:
- Designate digital device free zones in your home. Communal areas like the kitchen, living room, or family room could become tech-free zones where everyone’s offline. You could stock up on board games, puzzles, or card games. The space must make family time easy and fun, even without the smartphones and tablets.
- You can come up with rules about using digital devices. For instance, no phones at dinner time and no devices for two hours after homework.
- Consider using screen time as a privilege; if your child breaks a rule, you can take away their device or cut back on their screen time.
Healthy Eye Habits for Your Kids to Practice
Apart from regulating screen time, you can also encourage your child to do certain things that will keep their eyes healthy.
Teach them the following practices.
20-20-20 Rule
An easy practice that still gets overlooked, the 20-20-20 rule is simply taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something that’s 20 feet away. Make sure to find a stationary object that’s at eye level to prevent further strain.
One way to help your kid practice it is to use an alarm. Once they get used to taking those quick bursts of break, they’ll do the 20-20-20 rule even without being reminded.
An Arm’s Length
Excessive time is not the only culprit to the negative effects of staring at a screen. Distance is also a factor. Much like you’d tell your kids not to sit too close to the TV, you should also tell them not to hold their digital devices too close.
When it comes to handheld devices, your kids should be holding them 18 to 24 inches from their faces. When it comes to desktops or laptops, your kids should be sitting at arm’s length and a slightly downward angle from their face.
Blinking Is Essential
Remind them to blink. Staring at a screen can make your kids focus so much that they forget to blink. Blinking moistens the eyes, keeping them healthy.
If your child still ends up with irritated or red eyes after long screen sessions, consider giving them eye drops for red eyes to soothe discomfort—especially before bedtime or school.
Finally, adjust their screen settings. To minimise the strain on their eyes or prevent fatigue, modify the brightness to match the light in the room and change the text colour to black against a white background. Black text on white is easier on the eyes instead of the white text on black background.
When to Take Your Kids to the Ophthalmologist
It’s important to detect vision problems in your children early on. When you notice them start to have trouble viewing words or images (from a screen or a book), when they complain about sore eyes or headaches, or when they have trouble concentrating, it may be time to take them to an ophthalmologist.
Your child’s vision is crucial to their development. Although using digital devices can be helpful to their studies, too much time spent on those can have negative effects on their eyes.
Manage their screen time and help them practice healthy eye habits to ensure perfect vision as they grow into adulthood.
