The risks of children using smartphones are very serious 😱😱

 

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The risk of myopia increases when children use smartphones for more than an hour a day, jumping to 5%, and over four hours, it skyrockets to 27% 😱😱.

It's serious~ A wise restriction on usage time seems necessary.

Encouraging outdoor activities to maintain health♡

 

 

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A new study has found that children who watch smartphones or tablets for more than an hour a day significantly increase their risk of nearsightedness. This was reported by The Guardian in the UK, based on a review paper by researchers from Seoul National University Hospital published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open (JAMA Network Open) on the 21st (local time).

 

Myopia is a condition in which the eyeball becomes excessively elongated, causing the focus that should be on the retina to be in front of the retina. As research indicates that about 40% of children and adolescents worldwide could develop myopia by 2050, the call to no longer neglect the development of myopia is growing louder.

 

While genetic factors contribute to myopia, spending insufficient time outdoors and focusing on close-up tasks for extended periods are also considered risk factors. This explains why screen time increases the risk and severity of myopia.

 

The researchers conducted a comprehensive review of 45 studies investigating the use of digital screen devices such as mobile phones, game consoles, and televisions among 335,524 children and adolescents. According to the findings, for every additional hour of screen time per day, the likelihood of developing myopia increased by 21%. In cases where myopia symptoms were already present, an extra hour of daily screen time was associated with a 54% higher chance of myopia worsening.

 

The researchers found that the risk of myopia increases sharply with screen time ranging from 1 to 4 hours per day. When screen time is one hour per day, the risk of myopia is 5%, but when it increases to four hours, the risk rises to 27%.

 

The researchers also found that the risk of myopia gradually increases after more than 4 hours of screen time, and that less than 1 hour of screen use per day has no clear association with myopia. This suggests that limiting screen time to within 1 hour may be a 'safe threshold.'

 

However, some studies relied on self-reports of myopia, and the research team did not investigate how often participants engaged in other near-vision activities. Measuring screen time is challenging, and additional evidence is needed to support ideas about safe thresholds. Furthermore, the studies did not prove that screen time causes myopia.

 

The researchers stated that these research findings could provide guidelines for addressing the 'myopia pandemic.' They suggest limiting the use of electronic devices indoors and encouraging more outdoor activities.

 

The relevant paper can be found at the following link (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2830598).