Doctors say screens damaging kids' sight

A local hospital said it has been receiving children with vision problems after spending a long time looking at screens and neglecting outdoor activities.

Primary and middle school students in Shanghai have been taking online classes since March 2 and a survey by Shanghai Statistics Bureau found that nearly half of primary school students were spending over four hours in front of screens every day.

Long-time exposure to the screen heightens the risk of myopia and myopia deterioration, doctors said.

Dr Wei Gehong, of Shanghai Ren’ai Hospital’s eye department, said she had seen several children whose vision had deteriorated recently. 

“I have a 10-year-old boy patient whose vision was normal during a check late last year but who began to have problems with his vision recently,” Wei said. “It can be related to long-time use of computers and less outdoor activity.”

Wei said parents should strictly control their children’s use of digital devices and get them to take a rest during class intervals and ensure screens are properly lit.

“A proper gesture of writing and reading is important. The distance between eyes and the screen should be 50 centimeters.”

Doctors say primary and middle school students should have two hours of activity every day. Though it may be difficult to go outside during the pandemic, opening a window or standing on a balcony to enjoy the sunshine is also good for the eyes, they say.

“Enough sleep and appropriate nutrition are also necessary for the eyes,” Wei said. “Kindergarten students should get 11 hours of sleep every night, 10 hours for primary school students and 8 to 9 hours for middle school students.”

Doctors are calling on parents to take their children to hospital if their eyesight was getting worse and if they suffered discomfort or pain.