The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the dependence of people on digital tools manifolds in the past over four months with people being pushed into an uncertain situation spending more time at home. In such a situation, the easiest thing to do is to sit in front of a screen to connect with others, for work, education, entertainment, shopping and keeping up on the latest news about COVID-19.
From adults to kids, everyone is spending more hours on screens than ever, toggling between smart phones, tablet, computer, laptop, Kindle and Television. While private and government organizations are encouraging their employees to work from home, the Universities and schools have switched to digital learning mode.
However, with deep dependence on technology due to pandemic, it has had a large impact on users’ mental and physical health across all age groups, say the medical experts. Since the month of March when a nationwide lockdown was imposed, many office-goers are working from home while the schools and Universities are closed and students are attending online classes.
“People from all age groups are engaged in excessive screen time spending hours in virtual meetings, conversations on social media platforms, online classes and then unwinding the day with TV series or choosing multiple streaming services like Netflix, Amazon and others or by playing video games. The prolonged dependence on digital tools during COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental as well physical health of people especially children,” says Dr Subodh BN, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research while talking to The Pioneer.
He says, “The adults were already spending long hours on laptops or computers for work and it is not something new for them. Besides, they are well aware of the negative impacts of digital tools and can prioritize their daily activities, accordingly. However, increased screen time has had an impact on the mental wellbeing of children.”
“Behavioral changes have been witnessed in children due to their increased dependence on technology. Lack of social interaction, lack of outdoor activity and increased screen time leads to lack of concentration, increased anxiety, irritability, sleeping disorder, stubbornness and also, physical illnesses among children. So, it is important to curtail the excessive use of digital devices to allow a child’s brain the chance to rejuvenate,” Dr Subodh tells.
“There should be a clear distinction between productive and unproductive screen time. It is also imperative to adjust lifestyle to safeguard mental and physical health during pandemic,” says Dr Subodh while adding that parents should also be vigilant about any signs of behavioral changes in children.
Notably, a review article by the PGIMER doctors on “Screen time in under-five children” published by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics has stated that there are several health impacts of excessive screen time including emotional, sleep, behavioral issues impairing the growth and cognitive development of under-five children. The parents are advised to not allow the use of digital gadgets for children less than 2 years and limit it to one hour for children aged 2-5 years, it stated. Another study conducted by the PGIMER revealed that children using mobile phones for over four hours a day developed squint and double vision. The study published in Neuro-Ophthalmology, an international journal, stated that three kids aged 8-12 years were examined in this observational study and it was found that on stopping the use of mobile phones, these children recovered completely.
According to the study, the three affected kids had visited the PGIMER for treatment and doctors had found two of them had a summer break at school and were excessively using smartphones for four hours a day in the preceding month. All three patients had recovered in a period ranging from three to eight weeks after stopping the use of mobile phones, the study stated.
Dr Swati Gupta, Associate Consultant, Paediatrics, Fortis Hospital tells, “The increased screen time during the pandemic is a big concern. The guidelines related to the online classes issued by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) are not being followed by schools as the classes go on for a longer period.”
As per the guidelines on online classes issued by the MHRD, the duration for online classes for pre-primary students should not be more than 30 minutes on each day. For Classes I to VIII, the MHRD has recommended not more than two sessions of 30-45 minutes on a given day while for Classes IX to XII, not more than four sessions of 30-45 minutes duration have been recommended for a day.
Emphasizing on the need for effective implementation of the Ministry’s guidelines, Dr Swati says, “Due to increased dependence on technology, we have observed a surge in issues like anger, frustration, and stress in children and even, suicidal tendencies among adolescents. Cases of obesity, skin problems, allergies and eye problems have also increased among children during the pandemic.”
“As there are restrictions on going out, children are spending more and more time glued to the screens for learning and fun activities. Considering this, we advise the parents to limit the screen time of their children.
Since they are already spending more time on screen for their online classes, there is a need to limit time spent on Television and other digital tools. Instead of this, we recommend parents to engage children in yoga, indoor games and to go out for a walk or play outdoor games keeping in view the safety protocols,” Dr Swati adds.
The health experts feel, though the online classes are the only option amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the long hours spent on laptops and smartphones continue to affect the health of children and the concerns are spiraling with no solution in sight.
Dr SPS Grewal, senior Ophthalmologist and Founder and Managing Director of Grewal Eye Institute, Chandigarh tells, “The problem is staring at a screen for long periods of time and not blinking enough. During the pandemic period, progression in vision problems was witnessed in a few cases of children who already wear spectacles. This was due to sitting close to the screens.” He says, “Use of screens cause eye strain because we blink less when we look at them for a longer period. Whether it's adults or children, we recommend keeping a good distance from the screen, using bigger screens and enough blinking while working on digital tools.”
“Children are stuck at home for several months now… they are attending online classes, doing their homework online and playing online games. In such a scenario, we recommend some precautions. For children, we discourage use of phones for a longer period. Bigger screens such as laptops, computers can be used for online classes and other activities. Blinking frequency is important and closing eyes for half a minute after spending 10-15 minutes on screen is recommended,” Dr Grewal adds.
