Online classes add to eye strain on children

Hyderabad: The government move to allow reopening of schools with online classes from September 1 has triggered a debate among the parents in view of the concerns expressed by health experts over the children's exposure to increased on-screen time. This could cause an exemplary damage to their eyesight and affect their mental behavior and abilities.

"Distance between the screen and the eyes should be a minimum 6 meters to avoid long term damage like rupture in film and retina. Moreover, UV (Ultra Violet) radiation from the electronic gadgets can cause sleep disturbance which affects the thought process, emotions and behavior," informed Dr Vrinchi Sharma, psychiatrist and director, Manasa Hospital, Hyderabad. "Researches from American Pediatric Association have very much acknowledged the damage to the higher centers of the brain due to increased screen exposure. The habit would damage the higher mental abilities like communication, impulse control, decoding social interactions etc. Rural areas, where wifi facilities are not adequately available will have a disadvantage and network issues can lead to demoralization among the students, reduce self esteem and can lead to secondary depressions or anxiety issues," he elaborated.

Till the child adapts the new trend of learning, extreme anxiety in him/her would develop which can reduce the ability to concentrate focus and learn. It's not going to be easy even for the teachers to monitor each child through the screen there by reduce the quality of education. "This mode mainly benefits the students from cities where sufficient technical mechanism is available to check internet and broadband related issues," said Yadagiri Shekar Rao, President Telangana Recognised Schools Management Association (TRSMA).

Only in the wake of government providing all the necessary support and infrastructure, he said, "The students of both the rural and urban domain could be able to benefit with the online mode of education and I am sure it is not as easy as winking."

Watch Out For These Signs

♦ Frequent rubbing of eyes

♦ Excessive blinking

♦ Tearing

♦ Tilting of head or squinting when reading or watching TV

♦ Headaches from eye strain

♦ Complaining of eye tiredness or double vision