wellbeingYour

This issue Most of us spend somewhere between five and 10 hours a day looking at one kind of screen or another. Whether it’s your computer, TV, tablet or phone, these are useful devices that can improve our lives in many ways. Especially if you work in an office, using them regularly can be unavoidable. But what effect can all this screen time have on your health and wellbeing? And how can you cut down if you want to?

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Issue One

Reducing screen time at work and home.

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With all this talk about screen time and health, you may worry about whether looking at screens can be somehow directly harmful. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence that this is the case. It’s more the things that you can miss out on through too much screen time – like being active, socialising, relaxing, eating well and sleeping – that we know can have a health impact.

One thing that can be more of a direct effect is ‘digital eye strain’. This is a term used by doctors for when people have sore eyes, headaches or blurred vision from looking at a screen for too long. A good way to avoid this happening is to look away from your screen every 20 minutes at least, letting your eyes focus on something distant to give them a break.

Think 20-20-20: every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away.

Can looking at a screen harm you?

1 Explore apps that can help you cut down on your phone screen time. Newer phones also have built-in screen time checkers, which can help you understand your usage.

2 Turn notifications off on your phone – or at least be selective about the ones you keep on. Messaging apps allow you to mute conversations for a few hours or more.

3 If you have children, talk to them as they watch TV. Ask them questions about what’s happening in the programme. This can turn it into a chance for them to think and learn, as well as for you to spend some quality time together.

Ten tips for tuning out

4 Get old-school with kids’ activities. Give them a screen break by dancing to the radio together, doing arts and crafts, going for a walk or playing with toys.

5 In the evening, use the ‘night mode’ on tablets or phones to reduce the amount of blue light they emit.

6 In the office, look for more opportunities to break up screen time, for example, by talking with colleagues in person. Aim to get away from your screen at lunch time too – but not just to check your phone.

10 Try having a digital detox for a while. For example, you could turn off messaging apps and social media, and read each evening rather than watching TV. See how it makes you feel.

Four questions to ask yourself Here are four questions that The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health suggests asking yourself about your household screen use. Happy with the answers? You’re probably doing as well as you can with this tricky issue. If you’re not happy with the answers, think about what you might change.

J Is screen time in your household controlled? This means that children don’t have free reign, and that adults use screens purposefully, rather than unconsciously and all the time.

J Does screen use interfere with what your family wants to do?

J Does screen use interfere with sleep? J Are you able to control snacking during screen time?

Most of us will naturally try to balance our screen time, so it’s important not to make yourself feel bad about the issue. Digital devices are difficult to avoid these days and play useful roles in our lives. Equally though, taking some time away from screens when you can could have some real benefits.

7 Use your coffee break or commute home as times to be completely device-free. Take a book with you instead or use it as an opportunity to practise mindfulness.

8 Having dinner with your partner or friends? Try swapping your phones over or putting them all in a basket so you’re not tempted to check them.

9 Consider buying an alarm clock. Most of us are guilty of using our phones to wake us up, which means it’s the last thing we see at night and the first thing we see in the morning. Using an alarm clock means you can leave your phone switched off all night, reducing your likelihood of being disturbed.

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Short-sightedness is increasing around the world, and it’s been suggested this could be down to people doing more ‘near tasks’ like looking at screens. The Association of Optometrists says there’s “no clear evidence to suggest that screen time alone is the direct cause” of this trend. But it does point out there’s good evidence that children who spend more time outdoors are at lower risk of becoming short-sighted.

Another thing to bear in mind is that screens emit ‘blue light’, which is known to affect the production of a sleep hormone called melatonin. For this reason, doctors recommend turning off your TV and other devices for an hour before bed.

Some studies have suggested that adults who clock up more screen time may be at greater risk of certain health conditions. This is thought to be related to people being less physically active when they spend a lot of time using screens, so it’s important to minimise sedentary time and break up periods of inactivity. Try to build activity into

your day and meet the recommended level for being active. Each week, that means doing at least:

J 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate intensity activity (where your breathing is increased but you’re able to talk)

J or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity (where your breathing is fast and you have difficulty talking)

J or even shorter durations of very vigorous intensity activity (such as sprinting or stair climbing)

J in addition to doing activities that build strength on at least two days a week.

Finally, remember it’s not just the act of using screens, but what you’re accessing through them that could be a concern. Things like the pressures of social media or checking work emails late at night, could affect your mental health if they make you stressed and unhappy.

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