For over three months now, students have been learning online, an activity that requires them to spend hours on computers a day. However, how can they juggle screen time and other activities? Ivan Mugisha, a senior three student, appreciates the move to not pause studies in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, on a daily basis, Mugisha has three lessons that take two hours each. He rests for about an hour before the next lesson begins. After his lessons, he starts working on his assignments, just to be able to submit them in time, as he must meet the deadline. In a day, he spends about eight hours on screen, which he says is too much for his eyes. He has, however, resorted to exercising during his one hour break, just to make sure he is off screen when he isn’t learning. This, he says, doesn’t only rest his eyes from the computer light, but helps his mind freshen up and prepare for the next lesson. He calls upon fellow students to reduce their screen time whenever possible to avoid issues like headaches, because it has happened to him a couple of times. Health experts explain that excessive screen time can lead to eye dryness, fatigue, irritation, blurry vision, headaches and eye strain. Studies have found out that children who spend more time indoors are more likely to develop near-sightedness (myopia). According to Divin Lionel Dushimimana, a student at Green Hills Academy, screen time can be a healthy lifestyle if it is balanced. This can be through physical play, especially outside games like running, jumping, stretching, football, among other games. Reading books is also another way to take a break from the screen. He, however, warns against resorting to using the phone immediately after using a computer because there won’t be a difference, as the eyes will still be exposed to light. Dushimimana notes that learners should also not sit in one place for a full lesson, rather stand and move around as it helps their backs and legs to stretch a little bit. He also explains that students’ laptops or computer lights should be limited, not too high or too low to avoid straining. Jean Mutesi, a mother of four, points out that parents should supervise children’s screen time especially towards bedtime. Alternatively, parents can use apps that can control the length of time that learners use devices. According to Mayo Clinic, too much or poor quality screen time has been linked to obesity, irregular sleep schedules, and shorter duration of sleep, behavioural problems, loss of social skills, violence and less time for play. Mutesi, however, calls upon teachers to give students at least two days of working on their assignments as it will occupy them less, considering they have daily lessons to attend, hence, enabling them to take some rest from the computers. She notes that there are many things that learners should engage in during their learning breaks, that is to say, cooking or other house chores. It would keep them active and away from their gadgets for some time. Mutesi also says that learners have to relax, breathe, meditate, and take a walk or keep themselves occupied with some other activities, for example, learning a new hobby or even take a nap, once in a day. She says, “If possible, learners ought to make a timetable of how they will spend their day, this can assist in limiting screen time because they will have to catch up with other activities of the day.” Parents should also make sure that learners are not using computers during meal times. When there is a time for everything, there is organisation, she adds.
