Screen Time Surge: How Excessive Screen Use Affects You, Your Kids
By Movieguide® Contributor
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies and journals are discussing the dangers of digital eye strain (DES) caused by excessive screen time.
“People who stare at screens for many hours a day, especially those who do so for eight to 10 hours, may complain about a variety of symptoms that indicate what’s known as digital eye strain,” News24 stated.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 34% of employed Americans worked from home in 2022. For many, that means eight-hour days staring at a computer or phone, excluding screen time for personal use or entertainment.
“The symptoms [of DES] include blurry distance vision and/or near vision, double vision, difficulty in focusing between near and far targets, headaches, eye aches, tired and irritated red eyes [and] the feeling of a foreign body sensation in the eyes,” News24 said.
Frontiers in Public Health reported, “DES is emerging globally as a ‘Shadow Pandemic,’ and it is high time to respond. Community ophthalmologists, public health authorities and educational sectors especially should be involved to prevent this.”
Another study found that the effects of DES are more harmful in children than adults. After four or more hours of smartphone use per day, children had issues with misalignment of the eyes, restriction of eye movement and inability to focus, while adults experienced more temporary annoyances.
Since COVID-19, “The DES prevalence amongst children alone rose to 50–60%,” an Ophthalmology and Therapy article reported. As data about DES and other psychological and vision-related effects of screen use grows, it is clear that precautionary measures are necessary, especially for children.
Movieguide® just recently reported on the psychological effects that screens have on kids:
A new study from Canadian researchers found that extended screen time among school-aged children places them at a higher risk for developing anxiety and depression.
Using data from 193 surveys from parents about their child’s behavior, the researchers found a strong correlation between screen time and levels of depression and anxiety. The risk for depression and anxiety caused by high screen time was further enhanced based on levels of physical activity and age – younger children were more affected.
Another Movieguide® article reads:
While parents have been wary of the effects of screens since the invention of the television, today’s unfettered access presents more problems than solutions. Many toddler parents, for example, find that an increase in their child’s consumption of screens also increases bedtime and sleeping troubles. Parents of teenagers may find that their children are consuming content far beyond what their brains can process and then replicating that immoral behavior.
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