Health experts warn excessive screen time damages childrens’ eyesight
Research shows Geelong children are spending an alarming amount of time on screens, as experts warn it is detrimental to eye health.
Geelong
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Most Geelong kids are spending more than double the amount of time indoors on screens than the World Health Organisation recommendation, new research shows.
The research reveals that Victorian children spend an average of 2.5 hours on screens each day, with 15 per cent of children spending an alarming four hours in front of screens.
The findings were uncovered by Specsavers optometrists as part of a research project designed to better understand screen use among children and parental understanding of their child’s eye health.
Specsavers Waurn Ponds Optometrist Loc Le said it was no surprise that 90 per cent of Victorian parents said digital screen time was top of the list for their children’s health concerns.
“But what is surprising for many is that when it comes to eye health, the biggest problem with screen time is nothing to do with the actual screens,” he said.
“It’s simply the fact that normally when kids are on screens like phones and computers, there is a lot of near vision work that is often indoors without natural light.
“That’s the part that’s bad for your eyes.”
Of the Victorian parents concerned that screen time was bad for their child’s health (55 per cent), 73 per cent thought it would stop them getting enough exercise, 69 per cent believed it was bad for their eyes and 64 per cent thought it may impact social skills.
While most Victorian parents (59 per cent) believe their children should be spending less time on screens because it’s bad for their health, most are unsure of ways to tackle it.
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“Staring at screens and being indoors for extended periods of time can increase the risk of myopia or becoming shortsighted,” Mr Le said.
“This means the eyes focus well only on close objects, while more distant objects appear blurred.
“Children are more at risk of this, as their eyes are still developing.”
Mr Le encouraged parents to make sure their children spent time outside playing these school holidays.
If parents are worried about the impacts of screen time on their child’s eye health, the best thing to do is to book in to see an optometrist for an eye test, he said.
Originally published as Health experts warn excessive screen time damages childrens’ eyesight