Cell phones a severe threat to children’s eyesight

Professor Dr. Tayyab Afghani, a leading ophthalmologist at Al-Shifa Trust, said Tuesday that smartphones have become a major risk for young people.
Cell phones keep kids connected and serve many positive purposes, but overuse is common and can lead to serious eye problems, he said.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Tayyab Afghani said smartphones can have severe and long-term effects on children’s eye health.
He said, parents and teachers should be aware of the consequences of children looking at smartphones for a long period of time.
According to him, most children who have access to a smartphone use it almost continuously, which has a detrimental effect on the vision of people whose eyes are still developing.
Afgan says smartphones may be contributing to the epidemic rate of eye problems, and studies show that by 2050 it could affect the vision of 50 percent of the world’s population.
Cell phones have screens with glossy settings to reduce exposure to blue light, which can damage the cornea, he said. However, adjusting the brightness, contrast, and text size can reduce some eye strain.
It always helps to teach children to blink frequently when looking at the screen and to make sure that the screen is at least 16 inches away from their eyes when looking.
He said parents and teachers should try to involve children in other activities that take them away from screens.
She says setting time limits on how long children can look at a screen is the best way to prevent eye problems.
Every six months, a trained ophthalmologist should examine children’s eyes, use drops of lubricant, and follow the 20-20 rule.
According to this rule, screen users must move their gaze to see an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This should be repeated after an interval of 20 minutes.