CURSE OF THE SMARTPHONE GENERATION

Alarming rise in children treated for sight problems

SOARING numbers of Scots children are being diagnosed with serious sight problems amid concerns over the use of tablets and smartphones.

Campaigners yesterday said addiction to bright-screen devices among children had become a form of ‘technological cocaine’.

The Mail can today reveal the scale of the problem, as more than 60,000 school children were prescribed glasses or contact lenses for near-sightedness last year.

The most alarming increase was in primary school children, with nearly 20,000 pupils under the age of 12 being diagnosed – a 17 per cent rise since 2015.

Experts warned parents to limit children’s access to tablets and smartphones – and make them play outside in a bid to prevent the condition, which can lead to blindness.

Health Secretary Shona Robison revealed the figures after being asked a parliamentary question by Tory MSP Jamie Greene.

Mr Greene said: ‘It’s important children are kept up with technology and have the latest devices for learning and playing.

‘But these strides cannot be allowed to

occur at the expense of youngsters’ health. It’s extremely worrying that cases of this condition have increased so markedly and shows more needs to be done to ensure children aren’t being over-exposed to this kind of thing.’

More than 40,000 secondary pupils were found to be short-sighted last year, a 9 per cent increase in two years.

The number of youngsters suffering from the condition has risen dramatically since 2010, as the use of screens has become more common, with an average of 1,000 new diagnoses every year.

The Scottish Government figures come after it was revealed UK youngsters spend nearly five hours a day in front of a screen, with four in five children owning a tablet – compared to 5 per cent in 2010.

Chris Hammond, Professor of Ophthalmology at King’s College London, has said that ‘close work’ such as reading or ‘playing with the iPad and iPhone’ does carry ‘the potential that it could make them [children] more short-sighted’.

Miss Robison revealed 19,920 children aged under 12 were diagnosed with myopia in 2017 – up from 16,980 in 2015.

There were 41,450 youngsters aged 12 to 17 diagnosed last year – up from 37,930 two years previously.

Morven Campbell, clinical services manager at optician Black & Lizars, said the prevalence of myopia is ‘hugely increasing’ and revealed experts across the world are working to find out why.

She added: ‘It’s not great news and it’s not what we want. We have to try to slow it down. We know children who spend time outdoors are less likely to suffer, but we don’t exactly know why.’

Mrs Campbell said there are theories reading tablets and smartphones too closely can damage focus, adding: ‘We are living in this electrical world where more and more of us are staring at screens, with less importance to get kids outside.

‘I would advise that if your child likes to sit inside playing video games – make sure they get outside.’

Myopia is a common condition which causes distant objects to appear blurred, while close objects can be seen clearly.

Glasses and contact lenses are often prescribed for sufferers, with parents also encouraged by the NHS to ‘ensure your child regularly spends time playing outside’ as this can ‘help to reduce their risk of becoming short-sighted’.

The condition is often diagnosed in children and is due to the eyes growing larger than they should. In severe cases it can cause loss of sight if left untreated.

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, yesterday said that ‘too much screen time can easily act as a form of technological cocaine’ as children become increasingly addicted to their devices.

He said screens were causing issues with youngsters’ eyesight, sleeping patterns and social skills, adding: ‘The short-term pleasure is addictive but we know that it changes the physiology of the brain.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Since 2006, everyone in Scotland has been entitled to regular free eye examinations.

‘Work is currently under way to implement the recommendations of the Community Eyecare Review, which includes improvements to equipment, training and services provided across Scotland.’

THE stark description of smartphones and tablets as ‘technological cocaine’ for children will be all too recognisable for many parents. Screen time is virtually inescapable for most of us – from desktop work terminals to electronic books and streaming films on phones and laptops.

Children are also increasingly required to use tablets at school and from a relatively early age may even own mobile phones.

But while the reach of technology is growing all the time, the public health consequences are alarming, with diagnoses of near-sightedness soaring among children. New figures show nearly 20,000 primary school pupils were prescribed glasses or contact lenses for the condition last year, up by 17 per cent since 2015.

As Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education warns, screens are also disrupting youngsters’ sleeping patterns and social skills – ‘the short-term pleasure is addictive but we know that it changes the physiology of the brain’.

With obesity one of the most pressing problems facing the NHS, the case for encouraging children to take more exercise is inarguable. Doubtless well-intentioned proposals to clamp down on two-for-one pizza deals, backed by Nicola Sturgeon and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, smack of nanny state gimmickry.

But escaping the lure of games consoles for regular outdoor play is more likely to bring about the lasting lifestyle change that will keep obesity at bay – and carries the added benefit of helping to reduce the risk of serious sight problems.

In 2013, the Scottish Centre for Social Research found nearly 60 per cent of babies were watching up to two hours a day at the age of ten months. Another 18 per cent languish in front of the TV for more than two hours daily, with experts warning some youngsters are developing a ‘dependency’ on television before the age of one.

Since then, hi-tech advances have further revolutionised homes, schools and workplaces.

But prising children away from iPads and consoles for fresh air and exercise may be key to averting another public health crisis.