We’re Spending Too Much Time On Our Devices
“iPad 2 w/ Smart Cover” by leondel is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Two hours.
That’s the amount of time the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends as a limit for children 8 – 18 years of age. For younger kids, the amount of time suggested is even less. In the modern world of evolving tech, we are on devices more than ever. With the CoViD-19 pandemic in place, kids go to school online, parents work from home – so everyone is facing the downsides of increased screen use. So, what does more screen usage lead to?
At minimum, your eyes will get worse. Many people have had deteriorating eyesight during this pandemic. A more extreme effect of more screen time is the increased risk of eye cancer. Ironically, this article was written using a screen, and research about the effects of screen time were also read on a screen.
Increased use of screens can also have negative effects on your brain. A few hours before your regular bedtime, your brain releases a hormone called melatonin that signals your body to start winding down. However, if you use a screen during that few-hour period before bed, blue light from the screen counters the message sent out by melatonin, causing your brain to think that it’s daytime. This causes you to have a bad sleep.
Overall, screens are causing an increasing amount of people, especially children, to get bad eyesight. Even though it’s hard during this pandemic where everything is virtual, try to keep your eyes off of a screen when possible. It really helps!
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