Screen devices are an integral part of most kids’ daily lives. Games are easy to access from their smartphone. They have friends sending messages throughout the day. Notifications from social media draw their attention. And online learning adds extra hours to the approximately 4 to 9 hours kids spent a day before the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] To help achieve screen sanity at your home, enjoy Dr. Bennett’s weekly coaching videos on the GetKidsInternetSafe App. While attending to sensible rules and tools for screen safety, parents cannot overlook the health cost of excessive screen use to our eyes. Visual hygiene may be defined as mindful actions taken to reduce potential harm to our visual system and to keep it working at its best.[2]
What is digital eye strain?
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) or Digital Eye Strain is defined by the American Optometric Association as issues related to the eye or the visual perception as a result of extended screen use. Research in this area indicates that at least 50% of computer users have experienced these symptoms which include dry eyes, blurry vision, strained eyes, and headaches.[3]
While CVS is believed to be temporary, it’s still important to err on the side of caution. Research that attempts to declare causation is a tricky area for scientists, especially when considering the many factors which may come into play such as the subject’s socioeconomic status, genetics, and third contributary variables.
What can cause digital eye strain?
Screen use over an extended period is the primary cause of digital eye strain. Here are some additional considerations:
Blinking Less
When we look at our screens, we are believed to blink around 66% less than we normally do.[4] As a result, we may feel a drying or burning sensation after an extended period of screen use.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is a type of science that studies how to maximize healthy body positioning and movement efficiency. Healthy ergonomics can be broadly applied and specified to functions such as our vision. Some visual ergonomic factors include screen distance, brightness, and posture.
Poor ergonomics may result in digital eye strain if the screen is too bright compared to the surrounding area. And if the screen is too close, our eyes may begin to cross (a normal visual function known as convergence).
Habits to Improve Visual Hygiene
Just as we maintain oral hygiene through brushing at least twice a day, keeping good visual hygiene can avoid strain or injury. Here are a few tips on preventing digital eye strain and improving your visual hygiene:
20-20-20 Rule
The 20-20-20 Rule states that for every 20 minutes of screen use, we should spend at least 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away. Changing focus prevents visual fatigue. This is a simple and quick task, and you can even make it more fun by playing I-Spy outside the house with your kid!
Night Mode/Red Light Mode
Night mode or Red-light mode is one of the newer options to control the type of light emitted from our screen devices. Blue light is a high-energy type of light that is most commonly emitted from screen devices. Optometrists believe that this type of light is a primary cause of eye strain.[5]
Lens manufacturers have created a protective lens to help. However, research on the benefits of blue light blocking lenses is mixed. Instead of investing in blue light blocking lenses, we can simply switch the high-energy blue light on our screen devices to a lower energy, warmer tone through the brightness or display settings on our screen devices.
Blue light also negatively impacts the production of our body’s sleep regulating hormone, melatonin. Check out our article Why Good Sleep is Critical for Child and Teen Health to explore the factors which impact our sleep, including the emission of blue light.
Maintaining Proper Distance
The American Optometric Association states that we should keep our computer screen 20-28 inches away from our eyes (or about 3/4 of an arm’s length). Additionally, the screen should be around 15-20 degrees below our eyes for an optimized screen experience.[5]
Maintaining Proper Lighting
Be particularly cognizant of how bright your screen is during the daytime versus during the nighttime. Improper lighting will lead to eye strain due to the eyes trying to accommodate the contrasting brightness. Another tip to keep in mind is to keep your screen clean so you can avoid glare from other light sources.[4]
Break Often
While the 20-20-20 rule is a great habit to keep in mind, frequent short breaks are also great to give your eyes a break.
The Pomodoro Technique is a technique for efficient studying which states that for every 25 minutes of work, you take a 5-minute break. Breaks allow you to take a stretch and admire the view outside! If you do decide to take a longer break, try relaxing outside, playing a sport, or walking around the block. The main idea here is to get away from up-close, artificial light sources and to have your eyes adjust to things further away out in the natural world.
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Avery Flower for researching Computer Vision Syndrome and Visual Hygiene, and for co-authoring this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
Most of us do not put much thought into reading, but not everybody has this privilege. Dyslexia is a cognitive disability that impacts someone’s abilities to read, write, or spell.[1] Letters that look similar and sound similar—such as n and m, w and m, and p, b, d, and q—are most frequently mixed up. To illustrate this, reading the sentence “Briana went to the park to walk her dog” may be read as “Briana wemt to the dark to malk her bog” for an individual with dyslexia. While some of us may mix these letters up occasionally, individuals with dyslexia chronically mix letters up to the point that it interferes with their daily life.
How common is dyslexia?
The DyslexiaHelp organization at the University of Michigan notes that 7 to 10% of the population have dyslexia. Individuals with dyslexia also represent around 70 to 80% of the population that have reading difficulties.[2] While dyslexia impairs an individual’s ability to read, write, or spell, this impairment does not affect one’s intelligence.
Dyslexia can lead to slow reading, poor language, messy handwriting, and a limited vocabulary. Behavioral issues such as tantrums, crying, and isolation may also manifest due to frustration. With proper treatment, impairment due to dyslexia can be improved. Children are especially adept at responding to treatment due to their remarkable ability to learn and adapt.
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology is a type of device or application designed to ease the symptoms of a disability.[3] In the case of treating symptoms of dyslexia, assistive technology has been refined throughout the years and garnered large satisfaction among users.
Scientists such as Tamik and Latif from the National University of Sciences and Technology are carrying out promising research for the development and accessibility of assistive technology for individuals with dyslexia. Putting the application they developed to the test, they found that their app helps significantly improves the writing for kids with dyslexia.[4] In a study by Draffan and colleagues looking at how assistive technology is used among 455 students with dyslexia, 90% of subjects found it helpful.[5]
Not only can assistive technology make things easier at the moment, but there can also be transfer effects which are benefits generalized to other things. A 2017 study by Lindeblad and colleagues put 35 children with dyslexia in a specialized program utilizing assistive technology applications. A year follow-up indicated that the children’s literacy increased at the same rate as their non-dyslexic peers.[6]
Maximizing Your Child’s Smartphone
Newer smartphones are becoming increasingly sophisticated and accessible for a diverse range of users. With smartphones, assistive technology is at our fingertips!
While a smartphone is easily accessible and can aid with alleviating symptoms of dyslexia, we at GKIS recommend that you consult with a school or private disability program prior to app adoption. Specialized programs will not only help you assess the severity of the learning disability, but they often give you access to specially designed tools that are straightforward and multifunctional.
Here are few steps on optimizing your kid’s smartphone experience:
Text-to-Speech
To have your smartphone read to you, simply highlight a word, sentence, or the entire page. To set this up on your iPhone, go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Spoken Content, then turn on the speech selection. For Android phones, download the Android Accessibility Suite by Google LLC, then go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Installed Services, then turn on Select to Speak.
Speech-to-Text
Simply, dictation is defined as translating spoken word into text. While there are specific disability devices that offer this, the latest smartphones are now equipped for dictation. Click here to learn how to use dictation for iPhone. Click here to learn how to use dictation for Android.
Recording
Recording devices have proven as useful aids for individuals with dyslexia. Not only will they be able to reference the class discussion with full detail, but they can also feel at ease now that they can write notes at their own pace. To access the Voice Memos app quickly on iPhone, go to Settings -> Control Center, then click the green plus button to add the shortcut to the Control Center. On Android, the built-in app “Voice Recorder” is located in the App drawer.
Scanning and Reading
Scanning and reading pens are often distributed through disability services. However, many smartphones are now able to do this. With the application Prizmo, you can scan a typed document which will then translate into text. From here, you can use the text-to-speech functions on your smartphone to have it read out loud to you.
Text Display
With an iPhone, you can go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Display & Text, and from here, you can turn on Bold Text. From this same page, you can also go to “Larger Text” and play around with the sizes to fit one that works best for your child. On Androids, you can go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Font Size, and play with the options from here.
Note: Due to the wide range of Android devices, the provided Android settings may be accessed differently depending on the version.
The Internet is host to an endless stream of potential sources that can help your child, but it is important to be careful of any potential marketing ploys that are from unverified sources or people without credentials. To help provide your child and yourself with a keen-eye on spotting scams, check out our How to Spot Marketing supplement that is the perfect addition to your free Connected Family Agreement.
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Avery Flower for researching assistive technology and dyslexia, and for co-authoring this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
[1] Azorín, E. I., Martin-Lobo, P., Vergara-Moragues, E., & Calvo, A. (2019). Profile and neuropsychological differences in adolescent students with and without dyslexia. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 51(2), 83–92.
[4] Tariq, R., & Latif, S. (2016). A mobile application to improve learning performance of dyslexic children with writing difficulties. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 19(4), 151–166.
[5] Draffan, E. A., Evans, D. G., & Blenkhorn, P. (2007). Use of assistive technology by students with dyslexia in post-secondary education. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 2(2), 105–116. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csuci.edu/10.1080/17483100601178492
[6] Lindeblad, E., Nilsson, S., Gustafson, S., & Svensson, I. (2017). Assistive technology as reading interventions for children with reading impairments with a one-year follow-up. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 12(7), 713–724. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csuci.edu/10.1080/17483107.2016.1253116
