**Collaborative post**
Smartphones and other smart devices have occupied an important part of our lives. Though they are mainly a means by which we communicate, their broader utility allows them to pervade practically every aspect of our lives. This is an inescapable reality in our modern world, and even our children are not spared. In the UK, almost 70% of 11-12 year olds use a mobile phone and this increases to close to 90% by the age of 14. Furthermore, as many as 25% of children between the ages of 2 and 5 have a smartphone.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise once you consider the awesome potential such devices offer. With all the games, education apps and other creative software present, your child can be entertained and educated by merely flicking a screen. However, while their utility cannot be denied, smart devices do have some serious negative impacts on a child’s health.
They emit blue light
Most if not all of the smartphones existing today make use of LED back-light technology to make their screens brighter and enhance clarity. Sadly, the cost is the emission of very strong blue light waves which has numerous effects on your little one’s health. Blue light is the part of visible light that has the shortest wavelengths and the highest amount of energy. Human eyes are also particularly sensitive towards this colour and even have special photoreceptors that respond to blue light.
During the day blue light makes your child alert and boosts their attention, memory, reaction times and even mood. However, blue light exposure at night disrupts their sleep. This occurs because blue light suppresses the production of melatonin (a sleep hormone) that helps the body and brain to wind down in preparation for sleep. Children using smartphones at night, therefore, are exposed to blue light which sabotages their sleep quality.
Good sleep is integral for children hence lack of it has serious consequences. First off, the immediate effects include fatigue, headaches, brain fog, inattentiveness, mood swings and more. Sleep deprivation in children has also been associated with behavioural issues like hyperactivity and aggression as well as difficulties with learning. If the sleep disruption continues over a long time, your child will have an increased risk of weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other serious health issues.
Interfere with normal development
A child’s brain develops remarkably quickly during their first few years of life, so every single moment counts. By interacting with those around them, children rapidly learn to recognise faces as well as read facial expressions. They also learn voices and words, how to talk and the complex intricacies of body language. As they play with other children, they recognise their own emotions and slowly learn how to regulate them and associate well with others. As they interact with objects, children learn their sense of touch and dexterity, movement, and basically construct an understanding of the world around them.
All these important moments and learning opportunities are lost when you let them stay glued to a screen instead. In order to have more time for themselves, many parents are choosing to let their children play with smartphones and tablets at the expense of playing and interacting with them. In very young children, the ability to talk gets delayed and even once they start speaking, communicating meaningfully with others can be a challenge as their ability to read other people’s emotions is diminished. They are also less creative and usually have self-esteem issues especially when this trend continues as they grow into teenagers
Protecting your child
The best way you can protect your children from these effects is by reducing their screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting the amount of screen time spent by a child to two hours a day. Furthermore, you should set a digital curfew when all digital devices are switched off. While there isn’t exactly an ideal time, just ensure it’s at least two hours before bedtime so that your child’s sleep isn’t disrupted. During the day, encourage your children to go out and play and develop constructive hobbies in lieu of staying indoors with their devices.
With older children, digital curfews and restrictions can prove to be problematic as they may need a tablet or a laptop for their homework. In such cases, invest in quality blue light filters to at least limit their exposure to blue light. For some of the best options out there, check out our Ocushield products that include blue light filters for all kinds of tablets and smartphones. There’s also blue light blocking glasses that will aid you in blocking all sources of blue light and not just smart devices.
