For the past 8 years, I have suffered from daily headaches due to excessive screen time at school. This personal experience is not unique; many students across the country are facing similar issues. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, children who spend more than two hours a day on screen-related activities are more likely to have attention problems, anxiety, and depression (National Institutes of Health). We need our schools to recognize this issue and take action.

If you suffer from headaches, new research suggests your childhood may be partially to blame.

A report published last week in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that people who experienced one or more traumatic events during childhood were 48% more likely to develop headache disorders as an adult.

The body holds trauma that can manifest into physical symptoms, the study found. The authors say it's important for providers to keep childhood trauma in mind as they treat headache disorders. Experts suspect headaches may become more prevalent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as reports of substance abuse, chronic disease and other trauma events increased.

The large study included over 154,000 participants from the U.S. and 18 other countries.

In their analysis, Harvard researchers discovered that as the number of traumatic events in a person's life increased, so did the odds of having headaches. People who reported one traumatic event had a 24% increased risk of a headache disorder, while people who had four or more were more than twice as likely to experience chronic headaches.

Headache and migraine disorders can be debilitating and getting rid of them is not as easy as popping over-the-counter pain medication.

“Migraine is extremely disabling,” Minen said. “And unfortunately, (migraines) really affect people during their most productive years of life.”

They can have a harsher impact on children, who often miss school, extracurricular and social activities, said Dr. Megan Purser, pediatric psychologist at the Texas Children’s Hospital headache clinic.

She’s already seen an increase in young patients with headaches at her clinic following the COVID-19 pandemic, which fueled certain deprivation traumas noted in the new study such as social isolation, chronic disease, substance abuse, parental death, and financial issues, among others.

Children who suffer from headaches tend to grow into adults who suffer from them, so it’s important to screen for trauma and intervene early before it impacts school, higher education, work or social life in the future.

Schools should be places where students can learn in diverse ways that do not solely rely on screens. Incorporating more fun activities into the curriculum can help achieve this balance. These activities could include physical education, arts and crafts, or even outdoor learning experiences which have been shown to improve student engagement and well-being (American Academy of Pediatrics).

It's time for our schools to prioritize student health over convenience. By reducing screen time and increasing fun activities at school, we can create an environment that promotes both educational success and mental well-being for all students.

Please sign this petition if you believe in creating healthier learning environments for our children. And college students.