ARIZONA, USA — Screen time recommendations have been been thrown out the window in lieu of online learning for many kids in the state.
But there could be some serious unintended consequences to health because of excessive time spent in front of computers.
“Kids are clocking in at 8 to 10 hours a day of screen time,” said Dr. Gary Kirkilas, pediatrician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine.
And all that screen time can lead to serious health issues.
“It’s something we call accommodation spasm where the lenses of the eye are so accustomed to focusing at a certain distance, that when they change that up, they get really blurry vision,” he said. “Other kids will get things like headaches.”
Headaches and vision issues are only a couple of the things kids face, but adults may be at risk for the same problems as life has operated primarily online since March.
“Frustration levels, sort of the emotional component of being in front of a screen and suddenly having to learn virtually,” said Dr. Kirkilas.
Other issues include irregular sleep, behavioral problems, impaired social skills and obesity.
“Our weight is a calculation between the calories that we take in and the calories we put out,” he said.
Dr. Kirkilas recommends cutting the screen time an hour before bedtime.
“There’s a certain amount of a schedule and a routine that we want to get our children into,” he said.
Dr. Kirkilas and his wife created a media plan to help mitigate screen time issues for their kids.
“At 2 p.m. until dinner time at 5:30, there’s actually no screen time,” he said. “It’s our screen free time, so those are the times that we’re reading books, we’re outside playing or indoor play or helping do chores.”
And when they are focused on a screen?
“Every 20 minutes, if possible... look away at something 20 feet away for about 20 seconds,” he said. “It gives your lenses a break.”
