Many children’s’ eyesight is rapidly becoming weaker because they spend too much time either watching TV or playing video games. This is one the main factors leading to children becoming short-sighted.. Parents need to take recognition of the factors leading to the rise of myopia among children. They must actively ensure their children’s eyesight remains strong.
The Rise of Myopia: Understanding the Factors
There are several factors that are leading to the rise in children’s myopia. Albeit genetics have an effect, environmental factors play the same considerable role. A fundamental cause is little or no natural light exposure. Children are thus deprived of sunshine for normal vision growth as they stay indoors more often looking at electronic screens across which they are glued.
Again, we cannot disregard the fact that digital devices surround children. The time children spend on screens from smartphones to tablets has increased significantly. It strains their vision and worsens short-sightedness. Furthermore, the phase may also trigger myopic development due to long periods spent on near-range tasks including reading or staring at screens.
The Role of Technology in Myopia
Certainly, tech devices highly contribute to the incidence of shortsightedness among children. For example, the frequent use of phones, computers, and tablets disrupts the natural formation of distant vision in children who are still growing up. In particular, children under two years old are discouraged from using screens at all costs since it is known that allowing them to interact with digital gadgets early would lead to visual impairment.
In addition, exposure to blue light emitted from screens can be a factor in worsening near-sightedness. Nonetheless, not everything is lost. To reduce this threat and enable eyesight to grow well, parents should inspire their children to play outdoors more often instead of playing in front of digital gadgets all the time.
Precautions for Parents
We must take steps to avoid myopia in children. To achieve this, we should set the limit for their screen time. Experts recommend that one should not watch screens for more than half an hour every hour regardless of the technological device they are using. Supervised regulation can be put in place to maintain a healthy mix of online engagement and outdoor activities.
Equally important is the emphasis on outdoor playtime. Parents induce dopamine release in the retina by exposing children to natural light which reduces myopia-inducing eyeball elongation. Sports and other non-contact activities that are carried outside help improve physical fitness and promote closer vision for the eyes.
You may also take breaks after every twenty minutes using the 20-20-20 rule to look at something that is twenty feet away for twenty seconds. By making sure that you are conducting eye check-ups right from childhood, vision problems that might arise in the future may get timely treatment.
As we move through the digital age, it takes an organized effort and constant attention to keep the eyesight of our children safe. If we are more conversant with factors which lead to the increased occurrences of myopia in children and have some preventive measures then we will have been there for them by way of safeguarding their eyes. At the same time, we will also be promoting their complete wellness. Children’s eyesight will improve because this matter is very crucial and it needs urgent attention. It is advisable that we give outdoor games priority over indoor ones so as not only to reduce time spent on electronic devices such as computers or smartphones but also encourage healthy behaviour among them now. Otherwise, future generations would suffer because they will always have blurred visions.
(Dr. Neha Naiksatam, Consultant Paediatrician, Apollo Clinic, Koramangala, Bengaluru)
The Rise of Myopia: Understanding the Factors
There are several factors that are leading to the rise in children’s myopia. Albeit genetics have an effect, environmental factors play the same considerable role. A fundamental cause is little or no natural light exposure. Children are thus deprived of sunshine for normal vision growth as they stay indoors more often looking at electronic screens across which they are glued.
Again, we cannot disregard the fact that digital devices surround children. The time children spend on screens from smartphones to tablets has increased significantly. It strains their vision and worsens short-sightedness. Furthermore, the phase may also trigger myopic development due to long periods spent on near-range tasks including reading or staring at screens.
The Role of Technology in Myopia
Certainly, tech devices highly contribute to the incidence of shortsightedness among children. For example, the frequent use of phones, computers, and tablets disrupts the natural formation of distant vision in children who are still growing up. In particular, children under two years old are discouraged from using screens at all costs since it is known that allowing them to interact with digital gadgets early would lead to visual impairment.
In addition, exposure to blue light emitted from screens can be a factor in worsening near-sightedness. Nonetheless, not everything is lost. To reduce this threat and enable eyesight to grow well, parents should inspire their children to play outdoors more often instead of playing in front of digital gadgets all the time.
Precautions for Parents
We must take steps to avoid myopia in children. To achieve this, we should set the limit for their screen time. Experts recommend that one should not watch screens for more than half an hour every hour regardless of the technological device they are using. Supervised regulation can be put in place to maintain a healthy mix of online engagement and outdoor activities.
Equally important is the emphasis on outdoor playtime. Parents induce dopamine release in the retina by exposing children to natural light which reduces myopia-inducing eyeball elongation. Sports and other non-contact activities that are carried outside help improve physical fitness and promote closer vision for the eyes.
You may also take breaks after every twenty minutes using the 20-20-20 rule to look at something that is twenty feet away for twenty seconds. By making sure that you are conducting eye check-ups right from childhood, vision problems that might arise in the future may get timely treatment.
As we move through the digital age, it takes an organized effort and constant attention to keep the eyesight of our children safe. If we are more conversant with factors which lead to the increased occurrences of myopia in children and have some preventive measures then we will have been there for them by way of safeguarding their eyes. At the same time, we will also be promoting their complete wellness. Children’s eyesight will improve because this matter is very crucial and it needs urgent attention. It is advisable that we give outdoor games priority over indoor ones so as not only to reduce time spent on electronic devices such as computers or smartphones but also encourage healthy behaviour among them now. Otherwise, future generations would suffer because they will always have blurred visions.
(Dr. Neha Naiksatam, Consultant Paediatrician, Apollo Clinic, Koramangala, Bengaluru)
