Is your child addicted to the tablet or laptop? Here’s how to prevent eye problems

With Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies becoming common in many schools, we take a look at how students can prevent eye problems when working on a tablet or laptop.

In the short term, blue light is tiring for the eyes, causing eye strain, and also drying your eyes.(Shutterstock)

In the short term, blue light is tiring for the eyes, causing eye strain, and also drying your eyes. In the long term, it increases the risks of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). As well as affecting eye health, blue light is known to suppress the secretion of melatonin — a hormone associated with sleep onset — levels of which usually rise in the body from around 9pm. It may, therefore, disrupt sleep.

Lack of sleep could, in turn, potentially contribute to a drop in performances at school. However, initial feedback from primary schools and middle schools equipped with tablets appears to show boosted motivation and improved collaboration among students.

* Cut out blue light: To protect children from blue light, look for applications or device settings that cut out blue light, such as a Blue Light Reduction mode in smartphones and computers. Also, try increasing the size of text onscreen. Don’t hesitate to ask your optician for advice. Some can now provide lenses with built-in blue light filtering in glasses for children under 16.

* Give eyes a break: To reduce eye fatigue and dryness, it’s recommended to look away from the screen regularly for a few seconds at something far away that doesn’t emit blue light. One technique to try: for every 20 minutes in front of a screen, give your eyes a 20-second break by fixing the gaze on an object situated around six metres away. Keep blinking often to rehydrate eyes.

*Spend more time outside: To make up for time spent in front of screens, outdoor activities should be stepped up to ensure exposure to natural light.