How many times did our parents tell us to stay away from screens when we were kids? To justify this order, we were told when we were going to have serious sight problems, or worse, end up blind. Downright creepy! But was this “threat” real? Perhaps in the 1960s, when televisions that emit excessive amounts of radiation were sold by the General Electric brand. The rays from these televisions greatly exceeded (up to 100,000 times more!) the dose that health specialists recommended, as reported by the magazine Scientific American . Questioned by this same journal, ophthalmologist Lee R. Duffner answered the question that we all ask ourselves since childhood:so, dangerous or not?
According to Dr. Duffner, from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, "there is no evidence that it damages the eyes in children or adults." But he says being too close to a screen for a while can strain your eyes. While safe, it can still create dry eyes, and cause headaches. However, screen-related fatigue is very rare in children:“They can focus up close without suffering eyestrain like adults. On the other hand, if we think that our child is really too close to a screen, we should not hesitate to take him to consult an ophthalmologist, because he may have difficulty seeing from afar. Still according to Lee R. Duffner, children, growing up, gradually lose this habit. Regarding the consequences of eye fatigue, which are ultimately not dramatic, the specialist just advises not to leave your child too long in front of a lit screen. And according to another study, conducted by researchers at Harvard University, a child sitting in front of a screen for more than two hours a day would increase their risk of suffering from obesity as they grow up.
So there is only one piece of advice to remember:limit the time in front of the screens, for young and old alike!
