Is excessive smartphone use bad for eyes?
Q A
My son spends a lot of time on his laptop or smartphone. I’ve heard that excessive screen time may be harmful to kids. Is that true?
More and more children including infants are spending a lot of time on small screens. When using screens, children blink much less frequently and this causes discomfort and irritation and the symptoms may mimic those of dry eye disease that is seen more commonly in adults.
Research has suggested that constant near vision activity is linked to myopic progression. Taking frequent breaks, blinking, and looking at objects at a distance all help in reducing the progression of myopia.
The most common problem caused by screen time among school going children is ocular discomfort. This is related to the increase in usage of near-visual devices. Becaus children don’t blink as often as they should be when viewing these devices it could lead to ocular discomfort. Frequent blinking helps us to spread our tear film evenly across the eyes making them comfortable.
There are a few ophthalmic solutions for these problems. To begin with, the best way forward to curb the problem is to reduce the time spent staring at screens. Parents should note if their children are squeezing or rubbing their eyes often as this may be a sign of ocular surface disease or the need for glasses.
According to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: “There is evidence to suggest that excessive time spent in front of any screen – whether it is a television, iPad or mobile phone – promotes obesity and interferes with normal sleep patterns in children.
The American Association of Pediatricians offers a good set of general guidelines regarding screen time for children:
Avoid use of screen media among children younger than 18 months.
If you choose to introduce media to children in the age group of 18-24 months, find high-quality programming and co-view and co-play.
Limit screen use to 1 hour per day of highquality programmes for children age 2 to 5 years.
Create a family media plan with consistent rules and enforce them for older children.