“Myopia Increased in Children, Phone Use Should Be Restricted”

With our lives being dependent on technology, we all spend most of our day looking at the screen. Although this situation only affected those over a certain age until recent years, the age of watching the screen has naturally decreased with the change of age. Red Crescent Kartal Hospital Ophthalmology and Surgery Specialist Kiss. Dr. If Ayfer Ertürk He made an alarming statement about it.

Ertürk made a statement about the increase in myopic refractive error in children in Turkey and called out to parents and stated that myopia will occur in most of the children if no precautions are taken. Ertürk, twenty years from now About half of the world’s population is expected to be myopic. also emphasized.

Staying at home for a long time also supports myopia

Stating that the rays coming into the eye are focused in front of the retina, not on it, Ertürk said that people with myopia have difficulty seeing distant objects and signs. The reason for myopia is seen as both work, education and leisure time activities. heavy use of screens stated that. He also added that staying home for extended periods of time promotes myopic increases in children, especially those in their teens, due to vitamin D deficiency.

Stating that it is expected that half of the world’s population will be nearsighted in twenty years, Ertürk made the following statements on this subject:

“The increase in myopia is accompanied by very early and heavy use of computers, smartphones and tablets, as well as during the day. the dwindling time spent outside also originates. The risk of myopia increases not only with a smartphone or a book, but also with prolonged staring at an object at close range. The risk of myopia decreases with the time spent outside. This is because daylight prevents the pupil from growing any further. Studies show that myopia cases increase during the dark seasons, while the increase slows down during the sunnier times of the year.”

“Children’s use of phones and tablets should be reduced”

Ertürk, in order to prevent the formation or increase of myopia, the use of smartphones and tablets in children up to the age of three should definitely be avoided. expressed. The measures listed by Ertürk were as follows:

• Close activities should be restricted as much as possible.
• Taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes and resting the eyes by looking away
• Spending at least one hour a day outdoors in daylight
• Good lighting of the child’s study at home, not dim
• In the 4-6 age group, smartphone and tablet use should not exceed 45 minutes, primary school children should use it for a maximum of 1 hour a day.