Smart Screen Time
FoundationLimit screen time, sit well to protect eyes and back, be polite online, and never get lost in games.
- Limit screen time and rest after twenty to thirty minutes.
- Sit up straight with good light, and look far away to rest your eyes.
- Be polite online and ask before sharing others' photos or words.
文體小知識：說明文把道理一步步講清楚。這一篇教你安全健康地使用電子屏幕，在網上也做個有禮貌的孩子。
§Text Passage
1Tablets and phones help us learn: online lessons, facts and e-books. But looking at screens too long makes our eyes dry and tired and may cause short sight; bowing our heads for hours makes the neck and back ache. So use screens with limits: rest after every twenty to thirty minutes, and keep screen fun short each day.
2Keep a good posture when using screens: sit up straight, keep a proper distance from the screen, and make sure the room is bright. Never watch in the dark or play lying in bed. After using a screen, look at faraway things to relax your eyes, then stand up and stretch so your body feels easy.
3When we talk with teachers and classmates online, for example on the school intranet to hand in homework or discuss questions, be polite: use kind words, no rude language, no teasing; reply to messages; and ask before sharing a classmate's photo or words. That is good netiquette.
4The online world is fun, but getting lost in games harms our sleep, study and health. Make rules with your family: finish homework first, limit the time each day, and no screens for an hour before bed. Remember: be the master of the screen, not its prisoner!
1Summary 重點摘要
Limit screen time, sit well to protect eyes and back, be polite online, and never get lost in games.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The time spent on screens each day; keep it limited.
An eye problem where far things look blurry, often caused by eye strain.
The way you sit or stand; sit up straight when using screens.
The school's own online platform for messages and homework.
Polite manners when talking with others online.
Liking something so much you cannot stop, and it harms your life.
Stopping after a while on screen to relax the eyes and body.
Movements like reaching and bending that relax the muscles.
Rules made with family, such as a daily limit for screen time.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Set limits for screen timeScreens are useful tools for learning, but too much harms the body. Primary pupils should stop and rest after every twenty to thirty minutes of continuous use, and daily screen fun should not be long. Ask your parents to set time limits on the tablet and phone, or use a timer to remind yourself. When the time is up, switch off by yourself. Finish homework first, then play — you will enjoy it, your study and sleep stay sound, and your eyes suffer less strain.
- Step 2: Sit well to protect eyes and spineWhen using a screen, keep your eyes about fifty centimetres away, with the top of the screen near eye level. Sit on a chair with your back straight and both feet flat on the floor. Never watch lying down or in a moving car, and never in the dark — a dark room hurts the eyes most. Turn on the light so the room is bright and soft. Bowing your head over a phone for hours makes the neck sore and, over time, harms the growing spine. Good posture keeps eyes and spine healthy as you grow.
- Step 3: Give your eyes regular breaksWhile staring at a screen we blink less, and our eyes turn dry and tired. Remember the eye-care rule: after every twenty minutes on a screen, look at something six metres away for at least twenty seconds so the eye muscles relax. During breaks, watch the trees and clouds outside the window, do eye exercises, or stand up for a drink of water and a stretch. On holidays, run and play outdoors and look at the green plants — it is the best for the eyes, and short sight stays away.
- Step 4: Be polite when talking onlineThe school intranet lets us hand in homework and discuss with classmates online. Even though we cannot see each other, our words must be polite: address teachers respectfully, such as Hello teacher; write neatly and clearly, with no messy symbols and no rude words. If a classmate answers wrongly, do not laugh at him — kindly help him instead. Reply to messages promptly, and before sharing a classmate's photo or words, always ask his permission first. Be a polite child online just as offline.
- Step 5: Do not get lost in online gamesGames are designed to be hard to stop, but the price of addiction is great: too little sleep, dozing in class, missing what the teacher says; homework done carelessly and results falling; sitting all day until the body weakens, losing the joy of playing face to face with friends. Learn self-control: do homework and exercise before screen play; set a daily limit and stop when it ends; on holidays, invite classmates to the park or the library. Remember: we are the master of the screen, not its prisoner.
- Step 6: Make screen rules with your familyThe wise way is to set family screen rules with your parents, for example: on school days, finish homework before screen fun and keep screen play under an hour a day; no phones at the dinner table for anyone; no screens in the hour before bed, with phones charging in the living room; and tell parents at once if a stranger sends you a message. The whole family follows the rules together, and parents lead by example. Post the rules in the living room where everyone can see — fair to follow, and easier for us to keep.
5Worked example Example
Example: Ming plays mobile games every day after school, often until midnight. He dozes off in class and his homework is getting sloppier. Think for Ming: what will happen if he goes on? What rules can he set?
- Result one: not enough sleep, hard to wake up, dozing in class — he misses what the teacher teaches.
- Result two: homework done carelessly or forgotten, so his results will fall.
- Result three: head down for hours, his short sight worsens, his neck and back ache, and he exercises less and grows weaker.
- Rule ideas: finish homework and bathe before screen play; at most one hour a day with a timer; no screens an hour before bed, the phone kept by parents; play ball in the park at weekends instead.
- Answer: If Ming keeps gaming day and night, he will lose sleep, his results will fall, and his eyes and back will suffer. He should set screen rules with his parents: homework first, one hour a day at most, no screens before bed, and more outdoor play on holidays — be the master of the screen.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1How long can you use a screen before resting?
Q2What should you do to rest your eyes?
Q3What netiquette should you keep on the intranet?
Q4Should you use screens before bed?
Q5What happens if you get lost in games?
8Recap Recap
- Limit screen time and rest after twenty to thirty minutes.
- Sit up straight with good light, and look far away to rest your eyes.
- Be polite online and ask before sharing others' photos or words.
- Finish homework before screen play, and keep away from screens before bed.
- Be the master of the screen, not its prisoner.