Taking a Break from Screen Time

Leaving mobile phones outside the bedroom is the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation for a better sleep.

When did we reach peak screen time? Was it when family members started messaging between different rooms in the house rather than making the journey down the corridor? When toddlers started tapping a picture book, puzzled when the pages did not automatically turn?

Or is it still to come, in some distant future where emojis are an accepted dialect?

While there is much talk about the danger of small screens becoming a big problem, it seems that the evidence is still a little hazy.

The UK chief medical officer (CMO) explains that research has not yet established a definite link between screen use and mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.

However, taking a precautionary approach, the CMO has produced new advice for parents that recommends screen-free meal times and leaving phones outside the bedroom.

From an eye health perspective, screens are proving contentious because of potential links with dry eye and disrupted sleep.

Perhaps, as with many things, the answer is moderation. The internet is a valuable resource. It provides instant access to a wealth of information, but when using a screen for a prolonged period remember the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes look at a distant object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Secondly it has been suggested that 1hour of playing outside per day will slow down the progression of myopia (shortsightedness) in children.

So take regular breaks from the screen, don’t take it to bed and get outside into the fresh air as much as you can!