Children’s eyesight is getting worse everywhere. The reason? Screen time

Children’s eyesight is getting worse around the world, and there’s one clear culprit: increased screen time.

A new global study published The British Journal of Ophthalmology shows that in recent years more and more children are suffering from myopia, also called myopia. Researchers say the change comes from children spending more time in front of mobile devices, the TV and playing video games, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These findings are an important step toward understanding the trends in myopia over time,” the report said, “particularly in populations that experience rapid transitions in myopia and the significant increase during the special period of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Although genetics can play a role in the development of myopia, it is also often caused by environmental influences such as muscle tension. Myopia begins in early childhood and worsens with age.

The study, which analyzed surveys of more than five million children from 50 countries on all six continents, found that about a third of children and teens across different demographic groups have difficulty seeing things in the distance. It is expected that by 2050 there will be more than 740 million cases of myopia.

In addition to the pandemic, myopia has been increasing for years, from 24% to 36% of children in the past thirty years. This number is expected to increase by a further 9% over the next 25 years.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises parents to limit children’s screen time and encourage them to play outside.

“Many children spend hours each day doing activities that involve near vision. When they go outside, they can look at distant objects. This allows their eyes to recover from strain and fatigue,” the agency says. “Playing outside also helps children be physically active and get essential vitamin D.”

The countries with the highest rates of myopia include Japan (86%), Korea (74%) and Russia (46%). These figures are also related to the fact that people go to school at a younger age, which puts more strain on the eyes to concentrate on schoolwork. For example, children in Asia can start as early as age 2. In Africa, children between the ages of 6 and 8 go to school. Myopia is seven times less common in Africa than in other regions.