Why an eye test should be on your back-to-school checklist

How to create good screen habits in kids

With many toddlers able to navigate a touch screen better than the average adult, today’s parents have their work cut out for them when trying to create healthy screen habits.

“There’s lots of benefits to devices, which is why people are drawn to them and use them in education and all sorts of daily activities,” Kelly says.

Kelly says finding ways to stick to screen time guidelines can be a great way of giving kids access to the beneficial education and entertainment aspects of screens, without harming their eyes.

The Australian government recommends no screen time for children under the age of two, no more than one hour a day for children aged two to five and no more than two hours a day for kids aged 5-17 years, outside of school work.

“We need to manage screen time and promote a healthy lifestyle,” Kelly says.

“Kids need to be getting outside in their hat and sunglasses for regular breaks. Make sure they’re not holding handheld devices too close and that they have balanced lighting and blink normally. We don’t want them using a bright phone in a dark room with bad posture — all of these can lead to digital device eye strain and the development of myopia.”

Jocelyn Brewer, psychologist and creator of positive technology use philosophy Digital Nutrition, says encouraging plenty of “green time” to balance out the screen time has the added benefit of helping regulate sleep wake cycles.

“The type of screen being used is also important — a phone close to your face is very different to a big TV on a wall 5m away,” she points out.

“The other benefit of kids watching a TV on the wall as opposed to using a phone or tablet is that they’re more likely to be mobile and move around — they might grab a toy or do some colouring while watching, and other people can see the show and have a conversation about it with the child.”

If parents are having trouble getting kids off screens, Brewer suggests using a large egg timer as a visual cue for “switch off time”.

“It might mean you say, ‘You can have five minutes of this show or movie until the time runs out’,” she says.

“You might need to plan the timing or be a little flexible though if the timer goes off right in the middle of a big song in a movie!”

The sheer volume of content choices thanks to streaming platforms can make kids resistant to switching off, so Brewer says limiting choices can help keep the peace, perhaps by discussing what they plan to watch prior to switching the TV or device on.

“It can take as long as an episode of Peppa Pig to just decide what to watch. On demand streaming creates demanding children — and people! When you have too many choices in huge streaming menus, often you can’t choose,” she points out.

“When we were kids, we had Play School and Sesame Street in the morning and again in the afternoon and in between you had to entertain yourself. It can be useful to keep that in mind when thinking about screen time in kids.”

To book an appointment with an Optometrist, or for more information, visit https://www.specsavers.com.au/stores.