Steni Simon By Express News Service KOCHI: Megha (name changed) is an IT professional. Like many others in her field, ever since the lockdown was announced, she has been working from home while also raising her two young kids aged 11 and six. This has led to a steep rise in the time spent in front of the screen by her children and her. According to Megha, she is exposed to the screen for more than six hours. With few outdoor activity options and parents compelled to get work at home, kids are spending most of their time glued to phones, computers and television screens during the lockdown. Medical experts give a word of caution as excessive screen time can cause issues ranging from dryness of eyes to mental stress in children and adults alike. “Excessive screen time leads to muscle weakness and dryness in the eyes. When a person spends more than two or three hours looking at the screen continously, it lowers the blink rate across all age groups. This reduced blink rate leads to dry eyes or computer vision syndrome. According to experts, screen-viewing has possibly increased 80 to 90 per cent in the lockdown,” says Dr Devin Prabhakar, consultant ophthalmologist, Divya Prabha Eye Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, Dr Devin suggests that the best way to avoid eye strain is to follow the 20-20-20 rule designed by Californian optometrist Jeffrey Anshel as an easy method to take breaks and avoid straining the eyes. According to the rule, for every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, a person should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. “When the person focuses on an object 20 feet away, it helps the eye muscles relax. Also, remembering to blink can prevent dry eye,” said Dr Devin. Besides this, anyone spending the day sitting and working should periodically get up and walk around to prevent back and neck pain. While excessive screen time results in medical issues, some experts opine the virtual world has become inescapable with physical distancing in place. The internet can also accord productive benefits as many schools have turned to online classroom setups by providing some kind of a regular learning structure for children even if it’s on a screen.According to Dr Sheena G Soman, consultant psychiatrist at Mental Health Centre, Peroorkada, screen time can be categorised into problematic and intelligent. During the lockdown, there has been a gradual increase in the screen time usage. Problematic screen time refers to online consumption patterns which are accompanied by symptoms of excessive exposure to screen include craving, tolerance and withdrawal. When there is a tendency to use the laptop or mobile compulsively, it can be categorised as craving. Tolerance is when more time is being spent before screens than before while withdrawal symptoms lead to aggression and irritation. On the other hand, intelligent use of screen time among children and adolescents can help in their cognitive development. “Before, parents were advised to monitor their children’s screentime and restrict it. But now, the scenario has changed and parents are advised to be flexible and assess how the content is useful in cognitively enhancing their kids. Parents should also engage in online games with their children,” said Dr Sheena. Also, screen time should be balanced with the household chores for children.

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