Dr Rishi Bhardwaj
With parks, theatres and malls closed due to the nationwide lockdown, people are glued to their TV, computer and mobile screens. The increased time in front multiple screens has augmented the exposure to harmful high-energy blue light waves. It’s well known that overexposure to blue light suppresses melatonin release by the brain, which disrupts normal sleep patterns. And poor sleep in all age groups, along with various other factors, could cause diabetes, heart disease as well psychological conditions such as depression and attention deficit disorder.
Two hours per day
According to various studies done by US universities, the safe screen time for adults (above 16 years) is two hours per day. But, these days we hardly follow it. The more we stare at a screen, our eyes get dry and the blinking rate gets lowered. That results in stress and strain in the eyes. More screen time means less physical activity and less exposure to green (natural green colour) mdash; the exposure to natural green colour soothes the eyes. Besides, the lack of physical activity is a leading cause of many lifestyle diseases including obesity, hypertension, diabetes and thyroid. All these diseases are related to our eyes as well as they affect the retina.
Sleep disorder
More than recommended screen time causes low vision and, at times, temporary blindness, too, which ranges from a couple of minutes to hours. And because of longer exposure to screens, we take more time to fall asleep.
