Family movie nights are supposed to be fun, not a source of pain and frustration. If your little one complains of eye discomfort after watching TV, it can be distressing for you. Is it just eyestrain or something more serious? Discover the possible causes and symptoms of eyestrain, and explore practical tips to ensure comfortable viewing for your child.
3 Causes of Painful Eyes
When a child complains about sore eyes after watching TV, it’s usually an indicator of an eye problem, such as:
- Refractive Errors
Children may experience three types of refractive errors, including:
- Myopia or nearsightedness: Faraway objects look blurry for children with myopia. Signs include eye squinting. This condition is more common among children who spend more time indoors than outdoorsy kids.
- Hyperopia or farsightedness: Nearby objects appear blurry for kids with hyperopia.
- Astigmatism: This occurs when the cornea is curved more in one direction than the other. It is common in people with football-shaped eyes.
- Tension Headaches
A tension headache causes pain in the head, neck and behind the eyes. It’s different from a migraine attack, which is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Common triggers of a tension headache include eyestrain, dry eyes, stress, dehydration and lack of sleep. This can happen when your child spends sleepless nights watching their favorite shows.
- Digital Eyestrain
Digital eyestrain, or computer vision syndrome, is a common condition. Both adults and children can experience it after spending long hours using electronic gadgets.
Symptoms of Too Much Screen Time on Eyes
Some common digital eyestrain symptoms among children include burning sensation, itchiness, headaches and light sensitivity.
Sometimes, symptoms of eyestrain in children are subtle. Detecting issues early is essential to avoid severe eye issues. Here are more signs caused by too much screen time:
- Frequent eye rubbing: This is one of the most noticeable signs of eye fatigue in children. See if they do this after reading or watching TV.
- Back and neck aches: Digital eyestrain from watching TV or using gadgets can also contribute to back and neck pains, which could affect your child’s performance at school and home.
- Inability to focus: Your kid may have difficulty concentrating due to eye discomfort.
What Happens if Kids Have Too Much Screen Time?
Aside from the common signs of digital eyestrain, excessive screen time could lead to health issues, including:
Obesity
The more your kid spends time indoors and lives a sedentary lifestyle, the greater their risk of becoming overweight due to overeating while watching TV.
Behavioral Issues
Children may experience social, emotional and attention problems due to excessive watching or playing of video games.
Decreased Academic Performance
Kids with TVs or other gadgets in their bedrooms may perform worse on school exams, resulting in lower grades.
Less Time for Creative Play
Prolonged TV viewing may encourage them to stay indoors rather than play with friends or explore creative pursuits outside. This can stifle their socialization skills, creativity and problem-solving.
How Much Screen Time Is OK?
The ideal screen time varies by age group. Use this as a guideline:
- 18-24 months old: Screen time is exclusive to watching educational programs.
- 2-5 years old: One hour of noneducational screen time and three hours on weekends.
- 6 years and older: No more than two hours of sedentary recreational screen time daily.
6 Good Eye Habits to Teach Your Children
Now that you know prolonged TV watching can affect your child’s overall wellness, it’s time to encourage healthy habits. Consider the following strategies:
- Monitor Screen Time
Studies show that too much screen time can contribute to anxiety, stress and poor sleep quality. Using electronics way past bedtime can make it difficult to sleep. Avoid these negative effects by setting:
- Screen-free zones: Consider the dinner table a screen-free area to encourage face-to-face interactions.
- Screen-free times: Set no-screen times, such as before bed or while doing homework, to prevent the media from interrupting their healthy habits.
- A “one screen at a time” rule: Turn off gadgets not in use to foster focus.
- Encourage Exercise
Start slowly by encouraging indoor activities. Ensure they align with your child’s hobbies or interests to motivate them to sweat out. Here are some fun indoor exercises that provide health benefits for your kid:
- Start a dance party.
- Create a makeshift basketball hoop.
- Follow a yoga video.
- Build an obstacle course.
- Remind Your Kid to Blink Frequently
Some kids tend to focus intently on the screen, which causes dry eyes. Encourage your child to blink extra to promote moisture, especially when they start rubbing their eyes. A doctor may recommend moisturizing eye drops to keep dryness at bay.
- Adjust Screen Settings
Small details like text color can help alleviate eye fatigue. Consider making the following adjustments to help minimize symptoms of too much screen time on eyes:
- Adjust the screen’s brightness to match the room’s brightness.
- Modify text size and color for better readability. Put black text against a white background.
- Make the screen’s color temperature warmer to reduce blue light emission that may cause eye fatigue.
- Assert the Importance of Breaks
Kids may get so attached to interesting shows that they don’t notice eye discomfort. Introduce them to the 20/20/20 rule — look away from the screen every 20 minutes and stare at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Help them set a timer so they do it regularly until it becomes a habit.
- Get Regular Eye Checkups
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), children may not report blurry vision because they believe that what they see is normal. This is why regular vision checkups are important. Vision may change as they grow, so a yearly examination is essential.
Have your kid’s eyes checked by a pediatrician or a pediatric ophthalmologist immediately if they’re experiencing symptoms of eyestrain or if they tend to:
- Cover one eye.
- Have a short attention span.
- Tilt their head to one side.
- See double.
- Have difficulty remembering what they read.
Remember, prevention is better than cure. Early detection can help prevent the development of severe eye problems.
Protect Your Child’s Vision
Eye pain after watching TV can mean many things, and one of the most common causes is digital eyestrain. Thankfully, you can take small steps toward ensuring your child grows with good vision.
