How to Protect your Kids from Screen Time during Online Classes

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We have grown up listening to our parent’s concern over reducing screen time while we kept our eyes glued on the TV screen yet the debate seemed never-ending with the dawn of computers and mobile phones in later years.

The recent threat of coronavirus that has led to closure to schools and made online learning a norm has only added to make it a complex topic for today’s parents.

The recent survey by national nonprofit Parents together suggests that 48% of kids spend more than 6 hours on screen after the pandemic which was only 8.29% before the pandemic.

The massive shift into the virtual world is forcing kids to spend long hours on-screen and in turn, raised parents’ concern about protecting children from continuous screen exposure. Fortunately, there are ways parents can manage their kid’s screen time.

Wear glasses regularly:

If a child already has a refractive error then he needs to wear his prescribed glasses regularly whether on-screen or off-screen. The use of kids prescription glasses helps minimize eye strain and protect against vision disability.

For kids who don’t have a refractive error, let them wear non-powered anti-glare kids glasses that work as a blue light filter and protect the eye from long screen use.

Importance of right posture:

Always ask your kid to maintain the right posture when sitting for online classes. Their chair should support their spine, and the screen should be placed at the right height i.e 10 to 15 degrees below their eye level.

Also, make sure they maintain a proper distance from the computer or laptop. Ideally, the screen should be kept hand away i.e 20 to 30 inches away from the eye.

Don’t forget the breaks:

Teach your kids the golden 20-20-20 rule for screen use. This important rule by Dr. Jeff Anshell to protect eye vision says “if your eyes are tired of intense use then look at something 20 feet away for 20 sec in every 20 minutes”. staring at a computer or laptop for long can cause blurry vision, strain, and trouble focusing at a distance.

Check for the screen brightness:

Adjust brightness and contrast for the screen to make viewing effortless. balancing screen brightness with surroundings is a must for eye health. we recommend turning on adaptive brightness for your screen, this will optimize your screen according to the surroundings and will not strain your eye during the different times of the day.

Never ignore the vision issue:

Most of the eye alignment is curable during early detection while the child’s vision system is still developing. Your child may not notice eye strain as you do but as a concerned parent, you need to never miss those alarming signs when he needs kids’ glasses or primitive eye care.

Eyes are the pair of the sensory organ that plays an important role in human life. Thus, It is thus crucial for us to take proper care of them. but since the start of online classes, doctors around the world are reporting a surge in eye cases among kids. Keeping the scenario in mind, we hope the above precautions and tips will help you look after your child’s eye.