Children’s Eye Quality Is Deteriorating (and Here’s Why)

More and more children are shortsighted, which means that they can no longer see clearly from a distance. A major problem, according to ophthalmologists. The (not so surprising) cause? Displays.

This is reported by experts in the AD†

More and more nearsighted

The number of children with myopia, also called nearsightedness, is increasing at a rapid pace. The numbers are shocking: A quarter of all 13-year-olds are already nearsighted. And that group is only getting bigger. If you are nearsighted, the eyeball is too long. The focal point of light rays shining into the eye does not fall on the retina, but in front of it. And that’s what causes the blurry image. The Eye Fund is concerned, because nearsightedness eventually leads to visual impairment or blindness in a third.

Also read: This is what you need to know if your child needs glasses

Displays

Big culprit in this story? You can already feel it coming: screens. Nearsightedness can be hereditary, but can also arise from focusing on something close up for a long time. And let that just often be a tablet, telephone or television. According to experts, children up to two years should stay away from screens altogether. For toddlers, the advice is: 5 to 10 minutes of screen time at a time and a maximum of 30 minutes per day. According to Caroline Klaver, researcher at Erasmus MC, outdoor light can slow down myopia somewhat. Enough playing outside, then. It also helps to look away for twenty seconds after focusing for twenty minutes.

The vast majority of children, no less than 84%, are allowed on a screen every day, according to the large Kek Mama KPN Digital Parenting Survey. 70% of mothers let their baby watch a movie for one to two hours every day. 12% even do that for three to four hours.

Source: AD, Oogfonds

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