How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?

With Zoom season in full swing, we can definitely all agree that being able to click that bright red “Leave Meeting” button, and finally exit out of our last Zoom session for the day is officially one of the best feelings out there, as of last month.

   The satisfaction that comes with being able to shut down your computer, throw yourself down on your bed, and prepare to do nothing but scroll through Tik Tok for the next 30 minutes is an unbeatable sense of relaxation and comfort.

   However, as you grab your phone, ready to call some friends and look through your social media, your eyes start to hurt. As you recognize that painful sensation coming from your eyes, your neck starts to ache as well, and also possibly your back.

   Most of us can definitely be able to recognize these feelings from the aftermath that comes from sitting down in front of a computer screen for hours at a time.

   Having to get up early in the morning to sit in front of a computer for about two hours straight at a time can have a negative effect on us Jags as a whole, meaning students and teachers included.

   When in class, looking at our teachers and peers through our screens, we are often stuck in the same position moving only a little bit, if at all. Virtual learning has led many students to experience strain on their necks, shoulders, and backs. Doctors have also proven that high amounts of screen time can help to damage your eyes and lead to focusing problems, according to uabmedicine.org, which is bad news for all of us, especially those with preexisting eye problems. 

   However, to help aid some of the pain that comes with staring at our screens all day, a special kind of eyewear, known as blue light glasses, have been developed.

   These glasses block the high energy light that streams out from our digital screens. They help to lessen eye strain which can in turn help with other negative effects that come from an overuse of screens.

   Angelna Cilli, a junior, is one of the many students who have purchased these glasses due to excessive amounts of screen time. When asked about her blue light glasses, Angelina says “I got them because every time I spent a long period of time on my phone or computer or even just watching TV, I would get a huge headache. I think they help me a lot. I don’t have any issues while staying in my Zoom classes or spending hours doing homework.”

   Angelina also states that she has noticed a difference when she is wearing the glasses versus when she doesn’t have them on. “When I don’t wear them, I tend to get more headaches when I stay on the computer, and I can really tell [the] difference. I think, especially with the circumstances right now of doing school virtually, they have helped me tremendously.”

   Dealing with screen time and knowing how to manage it is a very important skill that students should know how to put in play. Especially because of virtual learning, it’s important for students to be comfortable in their new learning environments without any types of strain on them.