Is Myopia in Children Influenced by Screen Time?

Children's face time with screens has significantly increased since the pandemic. Students constantly engage in virtual learning while video games and other forms of entertainment are easily accessible via mobile devices. This has led to a rise in concern among parents and eye health professionals. One major concern is whether excessive screen time may contribute to children having myopia. Let’s look at how screen time and myopia are associated and what parents can do to sustain their children’s eyesight.

What is Myopia?

Myopia is one of the most widely spread eye conditions where distance vision is impaired, but objects in close range are easily seen. It results from either the eyeball being excessively long or the cornea being excessively curved, leading to light being focused in front of the retina instead of directly on it. Myopia usually forms during childhood development and if not taken care of, progresses later in life.

The Impact of Screen Time on Eye Health

Apart from genetics, myopia is believed to be caused by environmental assets such as excessive screen exposure and low outdoor activity levels, which can lead to myopia development. Here are some of the reasons as to why excessive screen time is harmful to the health of a child’s eyes:

Sustained Close Work - It is common for children to turn on their TV and stare at close range for long hours which places strain on the eyes. This can potentially worsen myopia.

Reduced Outdoor Hours – Children who spend more hours outdoors tend to be less nearsighted than those who stay inside for long periods. Such a phenomenon could be attributed to viewing distance and sunlight.

Constant Eye Fatigue – The frequent use of screens may also create digital eye fatigue which is discomfort and dryness to the eye, which can progressively worsen myopia.

Infrequent Blinking – Drying of eyes as a consequence of staring at a screen without paying attention further degrades the overall vision of the child.

How to Reduce Myopia in Children

Here are some of the strategies that parents can resort to in reducing the risk of myopia developing in their children:

Make Use of the 20-20-20 Rule – Children should be brought up being instructed to take a break every 20 minutes by focusing on something at least 20 feet away for a duration of 20 seconds.

Encourage Outdoor Activity – At least 1-2 hours of outdoor play or games daily is vital to decelerate further development of myopia.

Restrict Screen Time – Daily restrictions and non-screen-related activities should be encouraged.

Provide Adequate Lighting – Screens should only be used under proper lighting to minimize eye strain.

Arrange Routine Eye Check-ups – These checkups assist in the early identification and prevention of deteriorating myopia.

To Summarize.

While increased usage of screens does not directly correlate with myopia, when combined with less outdoor activities, it becomes a risk. It is beneficial that parents manage screens actively, provide frequent breaks, and encourage outdoor activities at all ages. Moving forward, these suggestions will help balance the need for devices and concern for eye health.