In 2019, the World Health Organization recommended that children under the age of two be prevented from sitting in front of screens, and children between the ages of two and five years should not spend more than one hour a day in front of a screen.
But the reality was quite different. In the same year, a survey of 2,000 British families with children under the age of 14 found that "children spend about 23 hours a week staring at their smartphone screens and the like".
With regard to the reasons for the prevalence of screen use, a survey of 133 parents of pre-school children found that many of them reported that they lacked affordable alternative entertainment for their children, and others complained of feeling tired and needing to get work done at home, in addition to the conditions Bad weather that may lock children up for a long time in front of screens.
Corona increased children’s stay in front of screens 500%
By 2020, experts noted that children's screen time had "exploded during the Corona pandemic", so that they were sitting in front of screens during lockdown more than ever before.
Which was monitored by a survey conducted in the United States, which included 3,000 families, and showed that nearly half of children, aged 5 to 15, spend more than 6 hours a day in front of the screen, an increase of 500% than they spent before the closure.
And 85 percent of parents said they were "concerned about their children's screen time" after noticing that "distance learning opens up their appetite for more stares after lessons", which makes the following new study more important.
Children and screens... a new wake-up call (Getty Images)
Half of the world's population is at risk
A new study published in The Lancet Digital Health, one of the world's leading medical journals, has revealed a link between the time children and young adults spend in front of a screen and a higher risk and severity of myopia.
The research was conducted by professors and eye health experts from Singapore, Australia, China and the UK, under the supervision of Professor Robert Bourne, Professor of Ophthalmology at Anglia Ruskin University, London.
The researchers reviewed more than 3,000 studies that examined the relationship between exposure to smart devices and myopia in children and young adults between the ages of 3 months and 33 years.
After analyzing the available studies and statistically linking them, the researchers revealed that high levels of screen time, such as looking at a mobile phone, were associated with a nearly 30% higher risk of myopia, and when combined with excessive computer use, the risk increased to about 80%.
So Professor Bourne considered this a rapidly escalating health problem, and said: "Our study of this issue is the most comprehensive to date, and shows a possible association between screen time and myopia in young people."
He predicted that "about half of the world's population will suffer from myopia by 2050."
We should avoid exposure to screens after sunset (Getty Images)
7 tips to reduce the effect of blue light
The researchers also say that exposure to blue light from phone and computer screens may affect eye health and make sleeping more difficult.
Here are 7 tips provided by the expert, Druvin Patel, to the British newspaper "Daily Mail" to reduce the impact of light emitted from screens:
Keep an arm's length from the screen
Extend your arm fully in front of the screen so that you are looking from your eyes to the end of your fingertips, and use this as a minimum distance (70 centimeters) to ensure that the pressure on your eyes is reduced.
20/20/20 . rule plate
Pause every 20 minutes, and stay away from the screen at least 20 feet (6 meters) for at least 20 seconds.
This will help to reset the eye condition during any long periods of work in front of the screen.
Adjust screen height
According to Patel, research has shown that screen height while looking can have a significant impact on eye strain.
So it is better that the screen is higher than the user's viewing level, so that the upper edge of the screen is five to 10 centimeters lower than the eye level.
Raising the level of the screen while exposed to it contributes to eye strain (Getty Images)
Reduce the glare
Patel recommends placing your computer screen in a place where glare from overhead lights or windows can be avoided.
It is best to close the blinds on the windows, use low wattage lamps and lower intensity, or use an anti-glare filter.
Stick a "blink" note on the screen
Our central nervous systems automatically control our blinking up to 20 times per minute, but staring at screens actually slows this blink down to 3 or 5 times per minute, which reduces our tears and causes dry eyes, says Patel.
Here comes the importance of placing a sticker on the screen with the word "flicker" to alert you to close your eyes from time to time.
Consider the size of your device
We usually prefer a bigger and newer phone, but it doesn't have to be the best for the eye.
According to Patel, who gives the example of the iPhone X, its screen is 20% brighter than the iPhone 6 and emits higher levels of harmful blue light.
This difference, he says, is the reason for the 100% increase in exposure to blue light.
We shouldn't assume that "night mode" or "blue shade" on devices is enough to counteract the effect of blue light (Getty Images)
Remember to turn off your devices
Patel suggests turning off any digital devices after sunset.
It is advised that we should not assume that "night mode" or "blue shade" on devices is sufficient to counteract the effect of blue light.
So we should avoid exposure to screens after sunset, if at all possible.