My health in front of screens
π In short
Computers and phones are useful and fun, but sitting in front of them for a long time tires our eyes and back and takes away time for playing outside and sleeping. With a few healthy habits, we can enjoy screens without harming our bodies.
π€© Did you know?
- When we concentrate on a screen we blink much less than usual, which is why our eyes get dry.
- Getting enough sleep helps the brain remember what we learned during the day.
- Playing in daylight is good for the way children's eyes grow.
- Most phones and computers can be set to remind us to take a break.
π Find out more
π The 20-20-20 rule
Your eyes get tired when they look at a screen for a long time. So every 20 minutes, look at something far away, about 6 meters off, for 20 seconds. And remember to blink!
π Sitting properly
Sit with your back straight and your feet on the floor, with the screen in front of your eyes about an arm's length away. And don't hold the phone too close to your face.
π‘ Move!
Our bodies are made to move. After some time at a screen, get up, jump, stretch and play outside. Moving makes muscles stronger and wakes up the brain.
π― Screens and sleep
Screen light tricks the brain into thinking it's still daytime, so it's hard to fall asleep. So we switch off screens an hour before bed and leave them out of the bedroom if we can.
π§ Sound too
Loud headphones for a long time hurt your ears. A simple rule: if you can't hear someone talking to you while wearing headphones, the sound is too loud.
π Balanced time
Doctors advise having a set amount of screen time each day and leaving plenty of time for play, reading, sport and family. Agree on a schedule that suits you with your parents.
π See how it works
π Key words
- Eye strain
- Tired eyes from looking at a screen too long
- Good posture
- Straight back, feet on the floor and the screen at eye level
- Break
- A short stop to move and rest your eyes
π§ͺ Try it at home
Use a timer: every 20 minutes at a screen, look out of the window at the farthest thing you can see and count to 20. Write down in a notebook how many times you remembered that day.
𧩠Test yourself
1 What does the 20-20-20 rule say?
2 When do we switch off screens?