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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Jennifer Edwards’ two kids were on a limited screen-time budget. After they got home from school and through their after-school routine, they would get maybe an hour or two a day.
When the pandemic started, Edwards worked from home while the kids’ school was closed, eventually transitioning to online learning. Limits on screen time were tossed out.
Now, her kids’ schools have reopened, and they’ve returned to some of their normal routines. But Edwards, who lives in St. Augustine, Florida, says returning to those screen-time limits has “been like trying to put the toothpaste back in the bottle. The kids have gotten so used to being occupied by their screens that it is now a struggle to get them off the screens.”
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Updated Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Warby Parker.
Increases in screen time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have surfaced new concerns about blue light and its potential impacts on sleep and eye health.
Cross-sectional and self-reported data from a sample of 3052 U.S. adults showed clinically meaningful increases in screen time in those considered “active” or “inactive” prior to the pandemic.
LEDs, or light emitting diodes, in televisions, tablets, cell phones and computers emit light that peaks in the blue light range. Among all the colors on the visible light spectrum, blue light contains more energy compared to other colors, like red or orange.