Chancellor's Challenges: Screen Time

Are you or your children googly-eyed (interesting term, isn’t it?) from all this screen time? I sometimes think that if I need to have one more meeting on a screen I will scream! I know a young fellow that was playing video games for hours during the summer, but now that he is on a screen all day for school, he doesn’t even bother.

So what do you do to give your eyes some relief? Here is some advice from doctors to help those who are on screens a lot. First, notice the lighting. If there is natural light coming in a window or door from behind you, it can cause glare on the screen that makes your eyes work harder. Interior lights can also be a problem if they are directly overhead and provide a harsh light. Moving your computer or closing the curtains will help.

Adjust the settings on your computer for text size and brightness of display so that reading is not difficult and the background of your screen is not too white (bright) and not too gray. Blinking your eyes often and giving your eyes a break by walking away from the screen for short periods of time is helpful. Also, exercising your eyes by periodically looking up and out of the window or at other objects in the room gives your eyes needed exercise. And lastly, if you are copying text from a printed page where you need to look back and forth between the page and the screen, consider moving your text closer and keeping it well lighted.

Lastly, the Sleep Foundation says that using screens at night actually “suppresses the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, and makes it more difficult to fall asleep. This is largely due to the short-wavelength, artificial blue light that’s emitted by these devices.” ¹

Ultimately, scheduling your days so that you are not on a screen ALL day is best. This means coming up with other things that don’t involve screens. These can be as simple as getting outside and taking a walk or actually TALKING to a friend on a phone! Rest your googly eyes.

¹ Sleepfoundation.org/articles/why-electronics-may-stimulate-you-bed