Too Much Screen Time, Pollution Cause Poor Eyesight, Scientists Say
By Movieguide® Contributor
Chinese scientists found that cases of poor eyesight are trending in metropolitan cities while greener areas don’t suffer from the same issue.
“Cases of shortsightedness are increasing – particularly in urban areas. Possible causes include too much screen time, not enough time outdoors and air pollution,” reported the Daily Mail.
“The scientists looked at data on 286,801 children aged seven to 12 in Guangzhou, a city in China with 18 million inhabitants,” the Daily Mail said. “Their eyesight was tested over three years as well as factors including proximity to green space and screen time.”
They found that those with more access to nature had a slower decline in eyesight. Green spaces also protected boys more than girls.
“The authors noted the boys being more likely to engage with increased physical activity and spend less time on their screens when their neighbourhood had a greater area of green space,” the Daily Mail noted.
The scientists said, “Our findings suggest increasing green space exposure could benefit children’s visual development and reduce the risk of visual impairment by reducing air pollution and recreational screen time while increasing physical activity and outdoor time.”
Another Chinese study, published in 2022, found that pollution can have numerous negative effects on sight.
The researchers said, “Outdoor and indoor air pollution is derived from different sources and can cause different eye diseases. Ocular surface irrigation, conjunctivitis and dry eye disease are the most direct results of air pollution.”
“However, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and toxicity resulting from air pollution can further cause cataracts, glaucoma, uveitis, retinal layer thinning, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy,” the researchers said.
According to the study, children are especially prone to childhood glaucoma and nuclear cataracts as a result of exposure to tobacco smoke and particle pollution.
Myopia is another eye disease that could be prevented through time spent outdoors. MyMyopia, an informative organization for childhood myopia, notes that sunlight helps slow the disease significantly.
“The more time kids spend doing up-close activities inside like reading and working on their electronic devices, the less natural light the eye is getting to develop properly.5 According to American Optometric Association, ‘If a child does not have enough dopamine due to sitting inside, then the eye can get longer and longer, and the longer the eye, the more severe the myopia,’” MyMyopia said.
Movieguide® previously reported why children need to be outdoors to prevent poor eyesight:
“The visual apparatus of children from zero to two years old is simply not sufficiently developed and robust to undergo such stress from constant stimulation in front of the screen,” Dr Langis Michaud, a professor at Université de Montréal’s School of Optometry,” explained.
Dr. Liu encouraged parents to cut back on their children’s screen time and have them spend more time outside.
“They need to play with real toys,” she explained. “They need to engage in real outdoor life.”
Liu also pointed out that adults should take the same advice, put their phones down, and spend time outdoors.
- Content: +2Share:
- Content: +1