Medical experts caution parents on effect of prolonged screen time on children

Some medical experts have urged parents to limit the time children spent on screens to help prevent long-term eye problems as younger generation spent more time on phones and tablets.

The experts, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos yesterday, emphasised the need for parents to ensure their children practised healthy screen time habits.

 A Consultant aophthalmologist, Dr. Olufunmilola Taiwo, told NAN that spending more than six hours daily on screens was unhealthy and should be properly managed.

Taiwo, who is the Head of the Ophthalmology Department at Alimosho General Hospital, advised parents to adopt the 20-20-20 rule, also known as taking screen time in aliquots (time frame gaps within given time space).

The consultant explained that using aliquots in screen time helped to  break total screen usage into smaller or structured periods, making it easier to manage and reduce eye strain.

She said: “Excessive screen time is not only a concern for children but also for adults.

“Spending more than six hours daily on screens can begin to affect eye health.

“If you must engage the screen for a prolonged period, don’t let it exceed 20 minutes, and then you take your face of off the screen for 20 seconds.

” You can also throw your gaze 20 feet away, and if you don’t want to do that, you can do it for two hours, and take a walk for 20 minutes.”

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She noted that if these practices were adopted, it would help prevent common issues such as eye strain, dry eyes, and computer vision syndrome, which were increasingly common with prolonged use of digital devices.

Corroborating, Dr Sheidu Nasiru, the Head of Eye Clinic at the Orile Agege General Hospital, emphasised the need for parents to engage their children in outdoor activities to reduce screen time.

Nasiru, a Consultant Opthalmologist, said taking regular breaks from screens was important for maintaining healthy vision.

He, however, allayed fears that early exposure to screen devices would not lead to major eye problems such as glaucoma.

“Excessive screen use can lead to eye strain (fatigue) and short-sightedness because they engage in too much near work.”

 “Parents should ensure that their children spend more time outdoors, playing and relaxing their eyes, instead of using digital devices continuously,” he said.