Over the last few months, it has been a tussle for parents of young children between online classes and concerns about a definite increase in screen time. Laptops, tablets and mobile phones have become indispensable for both school lessons as well as virtual art, music and dance classes or even fun activities like storytelling sessions.
With schools, in particular, powering through with online classes for students, what is the effect this has on their vision and hearing?
Viewing a computer screen, laptop, iPad or mobile phones will not cause any harm to the vision of schoolchildren provided they strictly implement a few safety measures, said Dr. Mohan Rajan, chairman and medical director, Rajan Eye Care Hospital. He explained that be it adults or children, the continuous viewing of any electronic screen from a close distance for more than three hours is what can cause a strain on the eyes.
“A break of 15 minutes is needed after a continuous viewing period of 45 minutes so that the eyes can relax. Children should take a small walk to relax the body and the eyes,” Dr. Rajan said.
He stressed on the importance of good posture and said that the screen should be placed on a table at a distance of 1 foot. “The viewing screen should be kept 20 degrees below the eye level and no bright light should fall on the screen as this can cause a glare".
Bigger screens are better
Phones and tablets are fast replacing desktop computers and laptops are the preferred devices for these classes, since they are easier to handle and are portable. “We, however, recommend that students stick to desktop computers or laptops over mobile phones if they are available,” said Dr. Soundari Agarwal, head, Medical Services, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital.
She also said that if a student is sitting in an air-conditioned room, care must be taken to ensure that the AC vent is not directly pointed at the face since this can lead to Evaporative Dry Eye (EDE) syndrome.
Over the years, ophthalmologists have been advising software engineers and professionals, who work on computers for long hours, to follow the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain, which they now say students should be encouraged to follow as well. “Every 20 minutes, take a break from the screen and focus on something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps reduce the strain on the eyes since the muscles relax,” Dr. Soundari explained.
Dr. Mohan Kameswaran, senior ENT Consultant and managing director, Madras ENT Research Foundation, said that ENT specialists had seen a rise in consultations with anxious parents, whose children have been complaining of episodic headaches, photophobia (aversion to bright light), eye and ear strain, tinnitus (noises in the ear), vertigo, imbalance, stress, fatigue, and insomnia.
“This seems like an emerging issue related to the current trend of virtual learning and gadget addiction and parents should be aware of how gadgets with earphones, in particular, are being used by children. As a rule of thumb, parents should take remedial action if they can hear sound from their child’s earphone 3 feet away,” he said.
Stressing on the importance of adhering to good gadget etiquette and safe hearing practices for online learning, Dr. Kameswaran said external speakers of good quality are safe to use if the volume is kept at around 80 db. “Otherwise, headphones of good quality are safer than using ear-insert phones. Children should be encouraged to take frequent breaks from the noise exposure and parents should make it a point to ensure that the children limit the use of gadgets after their classes.”
In the absence of guidelines laid down by the State government on online learning, it is currently up to the schools to decide on how many hours of online classes to schedule per day.
The lockdown has also meant that children are stuck indoors for long hours, focusing on screens near them while previously, they could get a short break from going to school or even playing outdoors with their peers.
“While this isn't a permanent solution to regular classroom teaching, online classes have been the way to go during the pandemic to ensure continuity in learning. For this, safety measures and protocols need to be followed,” Dr. Rajan said.