This week's update

Delegate Arentz's classroom screen safety bill has been submitted to Legislative Services; a draft should be available this coming week.

Many thanks to those who have followed the Twitter account (@screensandkids). Thank you for retweeting the research that supports the need for medically sound classroom screen safety regulations to protect Maryland students from harm. Nearly every day, new scientific evidence is uncovered that illustrates the need for clinicians to protect students who are now required to use a digital device for classwork and homework.

University of MD revealed worldwide screen addiction among students 6 years ago
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism's  International Center for Media & the Public Agenda (ICMPA): "Students around the world repeatedly used the term ‘addiction’ to speak about their dependence on media. “Media is my drug; without it I was lost,” said one student from the UK. “I am an addict. How could I survive 24 hours without it?”" 

JAMA Pediatrics: Latest study on digital devices and sleeplessness
" A systematic review and meta-analysis showed strong and consistent evidence of an association between access to or the use of devices and reduced sleep quantity and quality, as well as increased daytime sleepiness... An integrated approach among teachers, health care professionals, and parents is needed to improve sleep hygiene."

Another good reason for DHMH classroom safety guidelines: 
volume levels on headphones and earbuds
"Despite claims that kids headphones limit volume to 85 decibels (the level the World Health Organization considers “safer”), up to one-third of the kids headphones we tested exceeded that level when measured with pink noise, allowing higher volumes—sometimes much higher. " ... "Bigger kids (4 years and up) have different requirements than little ones." - The Wirecutter (New York Times affiliate)

Mont. Co. Students are asking for help with mental illness issues
"Students Organize Mental Health Week at Maryland High School: Call for more awareness surrounding mental illness"

Support from Montgomery County
A mom from Montgomery County urges parents to get involved in protecting students during the General Assembly session: 
 "What can we do to protect our kids? 

• Buy blue light filters for all your child’s devices. They are easy to affix and are relatively affordable. Be sure to look for those that block 100% of blue light.

• Encourage kids to look away or walk away every 20 minutes or so. 

• Educate your child about the risks.

• Support legislation that determines medical guidelines for safe use of digital devices in Maryland classrooms. Contact your elected officials to share your concern and support."

More pediatric research on sleep deprivation and digital devices
Remember that online classwork means online homework, sometimes late in the evening, because of after-school activities:

"Access to and night-time use of electronic media has been associated  with  shortened  sleep  duration  and  excess  body  weight  (Chahal  et  al.,  2013).  Children  with  increasingly  more  electronic  media  devices  in  their  bedrooms  reported  shorter  sleep  durations,  and  students  who  used  electronic  devices  on  most  or  all  nights  reported  sleeping  less  and  having  more  sleep  difficulties."

New York Times health columnist warns about addiction: 
Hooked on our Smartphones
"The near-universal access to digital technology, starting at ever younger ages, is transforming modern society in ways that can have negative effects on physical and mental health, neurological development and personal relationships..."

Education Week: Warning Sounded on Tech Interrupting Student Sleep
"A recent meta-analysis by British researchers has brought renewed attention to the issue, calling increased use of mobile devices at bedtime a "major public-health concern" for children and teenagers."

Please share this information on your Facebook pages, and follow this effort on Twitter: @screensandkids.

MD Classroom Screen Safety 

Press Conference Video

Paula Poundstone joins local advocate to support legislation that will direct DHMH to create screen safety guidelines for Maryland classrooms.

 

This week's update
A draft of the classroom screen safety bill sponsored by Delegate Steve Arentz will be available very soon, so please follow @screensandkids for legislative updates. This bill will direct the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to create classroom safety guidelines for digital devices. It will protect Maryland students who now face known health risks and avoidable injuries because they are required to use devices every day in school, just as OSHA has protected workers from many of the same issues, since the mid-1990s.

While significant research has already established the health risks associated with daily computer use among children, more studies are routinely published and referenced. The following research emerged just this week:

Blue Light is Adversely Affecting Our Sight & Health, According to an Eye-Opening New Survey by the Vision Council
Perhaps most concerning are the effects blue light and digital eye strain are having on children. Among parents in the survey, 76.5% indicate their child(ren) receives more than two hours of screen time per day, and 55.6% say their child(ren) experiences at least one of the following after two hours of screen time: headaches; neck/shoulder pain; eye strain, dry or irritated eyes; reduced attention span; poor behavior; or irritability. 

An Overlooked Factor in the Childhood Obesity Epidemic
This eye-opening research implies that reducing the amount of time your child spends on a computer, watching television, or playing on a smartphone or tablet may prove to be a more powerful intervention to treat and prevent childhood obesity and related health concerns than previously realized. The study: http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/2/153.short  

Lots of teen screen time tied to obesity
Too much television time has long been linked to childhood obesity, but a U.S. study suggests that the connection holds true for smaller screens too, such as computers, gaming consoles, tablets and smartphones.  

What Smartphones Do to Children’s Eyes
Smartphones pose dry-eye risk for kids. New study underscores needs for comprehensive eye exams for school success.

Screen Time Works as Well as Sedatives in Calming Kids Down
 "... the levels of anxiety among both kids and their parents were similar in both groups, meaning electronic games were just as effective as the drugs." The study: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-08/wfos-iae082516.php

Using iPads to pacify children may harm their development, say scientists
Children throwing tantrums should be given time to calm down on their own rather than distracted with tablets or smartphones, say researchers.

Eye health 'time bomb' as kids stay indoors, increase screen exposure
"It's a big public health issue in many countries," Associate Professor Sankaridurg said.

Researchers have found that using social media makes kids less happy in almost every way
The study found that the more time kids spent chatting on social networks, the less positive they felt about school work and which school they attended, their appearance, and their family. They were also less happy with life overall. The study:  http://ftp.iza.org/dp10412.pdf
 
Please follow @screensandkids for timely updates as Maryland leads the nation in screen safety for our children.  A Facebook page is not forthcoming, so please post and share with your colleagues, friends and family: www.screensandkids.us

Comments by Cindy Eckard
Classroom Computer Safety Press Conference
Friday, December 23, 2016

Thanks for joining us today. Many thanks to Ward One Alderman Joe Budge for being here to welcome Paula to Annapolis. Of course, thank you, Paula Poundstone for bringing a national spotlight to this critical issue.  I have a gift for you, filled with Maryland tokens of our appreciation.

I'd also like to take a moment to thank Laura Price and the entire Rams Head crew who have so graciously and enthusiastically hosted this event.

I worked for decades in high tech communications, so I've long been aware of the dangers of screen time.  When I learned that my child would have to use a laptop for school, I assumed there were already safety regulations in place.  I was shocked to learn that Maryland students have none, even though OSHA has protected workers from the same dangers since the 1990s.  There is nothing to prevent our kids from being strapped to a computer all day long at school, and suffering from a variety of health issues because of it.

Medical researchers are pointing to an array of serious health issues that threaten children who are using digital devices. What's important to understand is that children are still developing, so they react differently than adults do, and in some cases, suffer more permanent damage becasue of screen time. 

For instance, the pigment in an adult eye acts a little bit like sunglasses, so adult eyes have more protection from the screen's damaging blue light.  A child's eye hasn't developed that pigment yet, so that blue light is going straight to his retina. Over time, this can blind a child. And because the schools are demanding ever more screen time, this is a serious public health threat.

But it's just one of the dangers our kids now face at school. Myopia is epidemic in our country and growing. The USC Eye Institute knows why: screen time.  Serious myopia brings more risks later in life: cataracts, glaucoma and detched retinas.

The screens' blue light also suppresses melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. When the kids have to do homework on these devices, they have trouble falling asleep. Kids act differently when they're tired, according to the Sleep Foundation, who reports that children get wound up and over-active instead of sluggish. As a result, many are misdiagnosed with ADHD, when the children were simply exhausted. Obesity is also linked to sleeplessness, and with obesity, comes another host of concerns, like diabetes.

And increasingly, scientists are observing psychological problems emerging from daily device use among children: addiction, depression and anxiety are on the rise. Families are being torn apart, and lives are being ruined by the dependence these children are developing on their virtual world. A world that the schools are encouraging more and more each day, as lesson plans all move to the screen.

How much screen time is appropriate? I have no idea. No one does right now. That's why we need the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to determine safe thresholds for each stage of development for our children. These are serious health threats to our sons and daughters. Parents are demanding that their children are taken out of harm's way, and protected from the known and avoidable risks Maryland students now face in school.

I've also asked the American Academy of Pediatrics lead researcher to look into this issue, since their most recent set of guidelines failed to mention the use of screens for school work. She responded: "Our current guidelines are focused on the media environment at home, and parents’ role in this environment as media role models and mentors... our AAP guidelines are quite explicit in focusing on media use for entertainment (not for educational purposes) at home. " 

So please know that those new American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines have nothing to do with the situation in our schools.

Delegate Steve Arentz is my hero and should be yours too. He is taking this issue on, and will sponsor the legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session that will direct the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to do its job and protect Maryland's most vulnerable citizens from being hurt by their school equipment. We must teach our children how to compete in an electronic world, without harming them in the process.

Legislative updates and research documents will be posted at www.screensandkids.us and I hope you'll follow this issue on Twitter @screensandkids.

Thanks again. Happy holidays.

WBAL TV coverage of the 
Paula Poundstone Press Conference
on Maryland classroom screen safety legislation

December 23, 2016
Press Release
MD classroom screen safety legislation press conference

(ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND) In a press conference held at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis on Dec. 23, award-winning comedian, author, actress and activist Paula Poundstone urged Maryland lawmakers to pass a bill that will direct the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to determine medical guidelines for the safe use of digital devices in Maryland classrooms.

"It makes all of the sense in the world to put decisions about the health of our children's brains into the hands of health professionals. We don't ask the schools to govern how many immunizations we give them," Ms. Poundstone, who advocates for classroom screen safety in her home state of California, said.

Delegate Steve Arentz (R-Dist. 36) is sponsoring the effort: "More and more experts are proving that there are serious risks to our kids' health because they spend every day on a digital device. Maryland students need to get the most out of this technology, so we want medical professionals to lead us in a safe direction. It's a win for education and a win for our children's long-term health. Let's get uniform screen safety regulations put in place by doctors who know what's best for growing children."

The legislation seeks to provide protections for Maryland students in the same way that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protects office workers. OSHA has regulated the use of computer monitors since the 1990s noting many of the same health risks that students face today in class: digital eye strain, myopia, retinal damage, sleeplessness and psychological problems such as addiction, depression and anxiety.

Cindy Eckard, a mother of two Maryland public school children, has been urging lawmakers to regulate classroom screen safety, citing voluminous scientific research. She has created a blog (www.screensandkids.us) where the public can learn more about the health risks children face when required to use a digital device every day in school, and into the evening, for homework.

Ms. Eckard laughs when asked if she doesn't like technology. "My entire career was spent in high tech communications, " she explains, "Of course I want my children to master technology; I just don't want them to be injured by it. Eye experts are worried that children are actually going to be blinded by these devices, and so am I."

Citing several research studies, Ms. Eckard identified five major health risks that she says the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene needs to address, to ensure that Maryland students have a safe learning environment at school: myopia, retinal damage, musculoskeletal aches and pains, sleeplessness and psychological damage.

Health advocates around the country, such as Prevent Blindness and the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health are watching the Maryland legislation.

Prevent Blindness Chief Operating Officer Jeff Todd writes: "Recent research finds that children’s eyes absorb more blue light than adults from digital device screens, which is a growing concern as the popularity of cell phones, computers and tablets for school reading and personal use continues to grow each year. We commend Maryland’s efforts to ensure children’s vision, eye health, and safety is at the forefront of your state’s efforts related to childhood development."

Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, PhD, LCSW-R, a nationally recognized addiction expert and author of Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids, writes: "Over 200 peer-reviewed clinical studies correlate excessive screen usage with disorders such as ADHD, addiction, anxiety, depression, increased aggression, mood dysregulation and even psychosis... Indeed, many of the studies indicate that even moderate screen exposure can be clinically problematic for some children... I commend the screen safety effort in Maryland and encourage the General Assembly to pass legislation that will mandate medically sound classroom regulations," Dr. Kardaras wrote in a statement.

Dr. Geoffrey Goodfellow, OD, FAAO, is an Associate Professor at the Illinois College of Optometry and an attending optometrist in the Pediatrics/Binocular Vision Service of the Illinois Eye Institute. Regarding the Maryland classroom screen safety legislation, Dr. Goodfellow writes: "All of our eyes are under stress more than ever before. Whether it is blurry vision, tired eyes, headaches, increased nearsightedness, double vision, or red eyes, we know that our world full of digital devices can have lots of unintended consequences. This doesn’t even include the more non-eye related implications such as sleep disturbances or addiction propensities. I wish Maryland success in your labor to promote digital screen safety awareness."

Statewide support is also in place. The Children's Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council (CEHPAC) sent a letter of support for a similar bill last year, noting the need for regulations to protect students from the environmental health risks posed by daily digital device use in the classroom.

And Maryland parents are also endorsing the legislation. ABC Schools writes: "Advocates for Baltimore County Schools (ABCSchools), the largest public education advocacy coalition in Baltimore County, will support the 2017 Maryland General Assembly bill to develop objective computer health and safety guidelines for Maryland schools. Our students must be protected from well-documented potential impacts on the musculoskeletal system, vision, sleep, cognitive development, and social-emotional development."

Lisa Cline, a Montgomery County parent and Fields Road Elementary School PTA president agrees. "Our kids deserve every protection possible. Technology is not going away. This bill ensures that kids use it safely so none of us looks back someday and says, 'We should have...'.

For further information, contact Cindy Eckard at screensandkids@gmail.com. Follow @screensandkids on Twitter, and visit www.screensandkids.us for detailed medical research.

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Comedian Paula Poundstone to perform at Rams Head, advocate for screen safety legislation

From The Capital newspaper, Thursday, December 22, 2016:

"It would be doing the rest of the country an enormous service," Poundstone said. "As (Maryland) experiences the positive symptoms of making that change, everyone else will be green with envy."