Increased digital screen use, face masks and winter weather combine to form a triple threat to eye health: The dry eye triad. Here’s how to combat the resulting eye fatigue, irritation and discomfort.
Keeping an eye on what children are watching or playing is crucial to ensure that they’re being exposed to age-appropriate content.
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Tim Olds, University of South Australia; Carol Maher, University of South Australia, and Verity Booth, University of South Australia
Studies have shown a drop in physical activity for kids during lockdowns, which could impact their long term health. But their mums are getting more active.
Media multitasking: constantly juggling media and non-media activities, often using multiple digital devices.
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Analysis of 46 studies indicates that there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the long-term impacts of digital device use on cognition.
Comments and livestreams can lead to physical fights, shootings and even death.
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Too much screen time doesn’t leave enough time for other important parts of growing up. Predicting which little kids will likely grow into heavy tech users could help target educational campaigns.
Some health products haven’t been tested for the benefits that they claim to produce. Blue-light blocking lenses are promoted as helping sleep cycles, but there is no evidence to support this.
Many kids use screens all day long and are adept at reading what they see on them.
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Yalda T. Uhls, University of California, Los Angeles
Understanding others’ emotions is a crucial social skill. Counter to concerns about screen time stunting kids’ development, one study suggests they’re getting better at recognizing emotion on screen.
As the pandemic moves us indoors, it’s time to reconsider our understanding of ‘screen time’ – especially since we’re relying on our devices now more than ever.
Some of the old rules may no longer apply.
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Families may want to relax some of their usual rules for digital media use due to social distancing. But keeping bedtime screen-free still makes sense.
Using tech together with their parents is better for children.
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Too much studying and staying indoors are more likely to blame for the rise in the number of children with myopia, or short-sightedness.
Research with Canadian families found that modelling of healthy food intake by fathers, but not by mothers, was associated with a healthier diet among their children.
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Most Canadian children spend too much time on screens and don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. Fathers can help by modelling healthy behaviours and getting involved in research.
The excessive use of mobile devices by parents is wreaking havoc on children, and family dynamics.
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It’s not too late for a New Year’s resolution. If you’re a parent - resolving to stop ‘technofering’ could be one of the most important things you do this year.
We need to shift the focus away from parenting that relies on threats and rewards, to one that nurtures meaningful parent-child and child-technology relationships.
Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary