To Blink or Not to Blink
Human Health and Behavior- Grade:
- 2
- Teacher:
- Andrea Klein
A student in second grade is wondering if screen use is rotting our brains. The teacher and the student narrowed the question down to something more observable. We wondered if we blink less when watching screens and if so, does that affect our eye and/or brain health. A parent volunteer counted each students’ blinks for 90 seconds while they were engaged on a website where the student could choose the video. The same volunteer pulled each student back individually and engaged them in a personal conversation for 90 seconds while the parent counted their blinks. We then took an average of “on-screen” blinks and “off-screen” blinks. We learned our students blinked an average of 18.2 times off screen and 9.1 on screen, so exactly 50% less while engaged on screens. Our research tells us, that prolonged screen use, will inevitably, negatively affect our eye and brain health.
Excellent job on your project! You asked a smart question and did a wonderful job collecting and comparing real data. I was impressed by how carefully you observed blinking on screens and off screens and then used averages to explain your results. Your project was organized, thoughtful, and showed strong scientific thinking. You did a fantastic job turning an everyday question into a real science investigation. Keep up the amazing work!
Great experiment and topic! Your eyes and brain are so important, way to prove that a little less screen time is good for the eyes and brain!
Very interesting project on the health of our eyes and how it relates to screen usage!
Now I’m curious how many times I blink while I’m looking at a screen! Facinating project!