Digital literacy is so paramount especially to all learners across the divide. It helps them be at par with the trends of technology advancement in every sphere of their studies. Though unregulated access and long time exposer to such devises can expose children into long life health risks.
Schools across Kenya have computers, laptops, tablets and even projectors which are used in learning processes
The most fascinating lessons among learners, are those that are associated with such gadgets and as such learners seldom blink when such lessons are in session.
What learners have failed to understand is that prolonged exposure to continuous and bright light or loud noise is stressful and detrimental to the general well- being of eyes and ears.
Just as they go over school lessons, they take their parents phones and carry out further research on Google platform thereby coming across other areas like opera, tuko, YouTube, whatsapp, among others.
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Some learners even carry ear-buds and earphones to schools so that they can use when computer lessons are in session.
Further still, as they leave for home by bus, they love very loud music that is always experienced in Buses and Matatus, they would go further to ask the driver to increase the volume of the already loud music.
Ears and eyes are the gateway of interaction and exposure of an individual to the rest of the world, they interpret information and give a feedback.
“What do you think would happen to the eyes of a learner who’s supposed to have a maximum exposure to light and sound for a maximum duration of 3 hours but has deliberately been exposed to it for 6 or more hours?”
This is suppression and indeed a silent death trap to the organs that expose one to either excess light or sound.
Conversely, adjusting arbitrarily to the uptake of the intensity of light and sound can be very rewarding and could lead to prolonged wellbeing of our eyes and ears.
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At the moment, there’s an excessive and unregulated usage of audio-visual devices, mainly for communication, entertainment and productivity by all people especially children, youth and even adults, which is majorly done through in-ear monitors, headphones, earphones, ear buds or electronic devices.
These devices can amplify or regulate the intensity of sound or light depending on how sophisticated they could be.
It has however been noted that unregulated light and sound can leave an indelible profound effect upon the ears and eyes through a comprehensive study that was done between 1985 and 2013.
Excessive use of earphones impacts negatively on general ear health leading to a complex called Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), Tinnitus and even ear infections. It’s imperative to mitigate these unfortunate risks in real time.
Other associated negative effects of excessive noise are, excessive ear wax, general ear pain, dizziness, impaired focus due to sound or vibrations.
Another great effect is prolonged screen time, especially exposure to blue light emitted by phones or computer screens.
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There are other potential risks like, digital eye strain, damage to retinal cells, reduced blinking leading to irritated eyes, headaches and even sleep disruptions.
These potential effects could lead to anxiety, stress, neck-shoulder and back pain all of which lead to negative effects on the cognitive focus and functions.
There’s an element called melatonin that activates a hormone which sends a perfect message to the brain by instructing it that it’s time for the body to sleep, however as the blue screen releases its brightness, the brain is automatically awakened leading to reduced production of melatonin and complete lack of sleep that eventually leads to depression.
An integral part of humans is the quality of sleep, lot of exposure to sound and light beyond manageable limits makes learners to doze off during lessons especially in the afternoons.
Any notable blue light available when the element is released, affects the duration and quality of sleep and automatically speeds up aging by a very big degree among the people using these gadgets
It’s just important to establish time limits while using screens. Children have to be encouraged to engage in other creative activities like drawing, coloring and even cycling.
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The maximum scientific tested duration for children’s exposure to screens has to be 1 hour, while teenagers 2-3 hours a day, they have to be encouraged to read books, play games like soccer, among others.
Adults have a maximum time limit of 4 hours. Excessive exposure running into hours has a direct effect upon their health.
It’s important to acknowledge that very loud sound or excessive exposure to light and more so blue one impacts negatively on the general body functions.
Whether it concerns children, teenagers or adults, excess sound and light has very devastating effects and could lead to both physical and psychological disorders.
Studies have revealed that exposure to unregulated light can cause temporary blindness, otherwise referred to as photophobia and may have long term damage to eyes.
Excess sound can cause a complex that is medically referred to as sensory overload which could lead to Tinnitus and even hearing loss.
This effect could be short or long term and may lead to permanent irreversible damage to the ears and eyes leading to deafness and blindness.
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Technological impulse has really taken our country to high and unimaginable levels of development but we should be wary of the expected effects.
The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has time and again struggled to punish and regulate excess noises with the same idea in mind and has to be supported by all Kenyans.
We are all excessively preoccupied by Television, phones, auditory aids without assessing their limits of usage and the intensity of sound and light that are safe to our body organs.
Analytically it means that if exposure to excessive and unregulated sound and light is not checked in real time, in just a few years, we shall have a self-inflicted pain of a generation full of the deaf and blind.
By Hillary Muhalya.
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