by
Katrina Welch
Now it’s time to start my day… and spoiler alert… after spending my entire day staring at my laptop to complete my work, you better believe that to unwind tonight I’m going to watch movies and chill until it’s time to sleep and start the cycle all over again.
Screens are all around us. The use of computers, televisions, tablets and smartphones have become so ingrained in our lives that at times we do not recognise the extent of our dependence on them. Times have changed drastically and technological advances have caused an increased reliance on electronic devices to function in our daily lives. They help us get our days started and keep us moving throughout the day. We interface with them for work, education, recreation, and even exercise and shopping.
They make our lives easier; but there are also several negative effects on the body which we expose ourselves to when our screen time is excessive. Let’s examine some of these issues.
Our Eyes
Many erroneously believe that the detrimental effects from staring at a screen for too long are limited to the eyes. That’s because our eyes usually give us a physical response when they become tired of looking at screens. The eyes typically become dry or feel quite strained. They also turn red and our vision might become blurred. Any one or more of these challenges may also be accompanied by a headache. These screen-induced vision problems are commonly referred to as computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain.
Our Posture
Look around the room you’re currently in: is there anyone else around you on a laptop, smartphone or tablet? Or if you’re alone, turn on the television and flip through the channels and see how people are positioned when using these devices. And pause for a minute and think: how are you positioned when using these devices?
Many times people hunch over, causing their spine and their neck to be bent over for an extended period of time. Repeatedly remaining in this type of position for an extended period of time can cause severe neck, shoulder and back pains.
Our Sleep
Many studies have revealed that devices with screens which emit blue light should not be used directly before going to bed. That’s because this type of light has been known to suppress the secretion of the hormone melatonin, and this causes a disruption to a person’s sleep pattern.
Beyond that, late night texting has been linked to memory problems. This occurs because fewer hours of sleep reduce the body’s ability to fall into the deep REM sleep realm; and this type of sleep is what is needed to help the brain process the events of the day and store them in one’s memory bank.
Our Mind and Moods
Much research has been done on this topic, to examine the negative effects from infants to children to adolescents to adults. One such 2018 study by the UCL Institute of Child Health revealed that irritability, low mood, cognitive development and socioemotional development were hampered in children whose screen time was excessive. The study further noted that these factors caused poor academic performance.
Our Weight and Nutrition
Increased screen time is often a factor in decreased physical activity time. That’s because more time is spent being sedentary in the virtual world rather than moving around in the real world. Lack of physical activity is a common factor in obesity and other lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. What’s more is that sometimes persons neglect their nutrition when they are consumed with watching television and spending time online and the increase exposure to the advertisements of unhealthy foods also increase the likelihood of making these types of food choices. Thus, screen time indirectly influences, when and what a person eats.
How can we mitigate these risks?
While the screen time poses several harmful effects to our lives, it would be unrealistic to ask people to completely eliminate digital devices from their lives and expect them to be fully compliant. In these modern times, that just is not how we function. Therefore, as with anything, moderation is key. So, here are a few tips to help you manage your screen time and reduce the impact of the harmful side effects: Position yourself properly when using computers, laptops and watching television. Where possible, try to sit at eye level from the screen.
Sit in a comfortably padded chair with your back upright and your thighs parallel to the floor.
Avoid glare on your screen whenever possible to decrease the amount of light being reflected from the screen.
Take breaks. When two hours of screen time have passed, take a short 15 minute break from the screen.
Use the 20/20 rule throughout your screen usage. When you have been looking at a screen for 20 minutes, pause for 20 seconds and look into the distance. This will allow your eyes to refocus.
Give yourself at least a device-free hour before going to bed.
Stay active. Do not rely on your devices as your only means of relaxation and entertainment. Go outside, visit the beach, visit family and friends and find other ways to engage your mind and body.
6:00 a.m. Wake up as alarm goes off. I reach over and snooze for ten minutes.6:10 a.m. Wake up as alarm repeats and I snooze again a couple more times. 6:30 a.m. I finally grab my smartphone to turn off alarm. See notifications indicating five new messages from three chats on WhatsApp, two unread emails, an Instagram follow request and five Facebook post likes. 6:55 a.m. After responding to the messages, checking the emails and scrolling through each social media account, I roll out of bed.
