Online games gain momentum during pandemic; here is how to protect the eyes during the game

First of all. Just as your parents couldn’t stop you from spending time outdoors with your friends in the pre-internet world, neither will you be able to completely turn your child away from cell phones and online games during this time. Times change, habits and health too. Remember our elders mentioning desi ghee and ghar ka makhhan as secrets of their health?

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic entered our lives and turned the world upside down, many parents struggled with their children’s mobile addiction, where they spent hours playing games on the phone. Video games have been around for almost 70 years, but thanks to the Internet and cellphones, online gaming is now a global industry worth more than $ 100 billion.

The biggest problem with online games is that they take a long time to complete, forcing players to stay focused on the screen, sometimes for hours on end. Doctors say prolonged episodes of online gaming can lead to symptoms very similar to computer vision syndrome (CVS), such as blurred vision, eye irritation and sensitivity to light, not to mention pain in the chest. neck and shoulders. While vision problems are caused by blue light and images on phone screens use pixels, neck and shoulder pain occurs due to improper positioning when playing online games.

Then there is the obesity factor. As children spend more and more time indoors, in front of a computer or a cell phone, their mobility decreases, thus increasing the risk of being overweight. The dangers of obesity and its link to various lifestyle diseases are well documented.

Obviously, parents and teachers have an important role to play here. Educating children about the harmful effects of blue light on healthy vision is the first step in reducing the time they spend in front of a phone or computer screen. Another way to create a healthy generation is to get them interested in sports. Ensuring that children take a break from cell phones and computers every 20 to 30 minutes will play a huge role in maintaining eye health. But equal attention must be given to proper nutrition that will promote healthy eyes. I will list a few Dos.

Have your kids take a multivitamin supplement to make sure their eyes are getting the nutrients they need.

Include a high-quality lutein supplement in your child’s diet, such as one that includes the ingredient lutein Lutemax 2020 which is clinically studied to support healthy vision and visual performance. Lutein acts as a natural filter of high energy blue light and has also been shown to improve the quality of sleep, as a long screen duration can affect a restful night’s sleep. You find this powerful antioxidant in the retina and can be obtained from the diet in yellow and green vegetables, as well as in egg yolks.

Advantages of online gambling

Surprised? Online gambling isn’t that bad. If played in moderation, video games can help children and adults improve in several important areas like hand-eye coordination, visual attention, etc. Visual attention is the ability to focus on one thing while ignoring others. Playing action-oriented online games can actually increase this ability, as well as visual reaction time and visual discrimination of the ground.

Action games can also improve a skill that traditionally deteriorates with age. Known as the Contrast Sensitivity feature, this ability allows people to differentiate between shades of colors displayed with a uniform background. This ability is vital for reading, as well as night driving, and it is one of the first to fade with age.

Moderation is the crux. With healthy play habits, kids can enjoy the real benefits it offers and continue with their favorites avoiding sinking. Modernization has its own advantages. We can only harvest them with the other simultaneous modifications that it requires.

(Sanjaya Mariwala is the Founding President of the Association of Herbal and Nutraceuticals Manufacturers of India (AHNMI) and Executive Chairman and CEO of OmniActive Health Technologies)

Posted on: Thursday November 18, 2021 2:17 PM IST