General (4)Jennifer L. Hall
From: Theresa Bass
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2022 9:32 AM
To: Public Comment
Subject: FW: [EXTERNAL] Increasing screen time during pandemic - even for schoolwork -
could be harmful to kids' eyesight
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Subject: [EXTERNAL] Increasing screen time during pandemic - even for schoolwork - could be harmful to kids' eyesight
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01-18-2022
(P.R.D.D.C.)
PARENTS FOR THE RIGHTS OF DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED CHILDREN
CRAIG A. DURFEY FOUNDER OF P.R.D.D.C.
GARDEN GROVE, CA 92842
CELL
SOCIALEMOTIONALPAWS.COM
FACEBOOK: CRAIG DURFEY
U.S. 404 - HONORING CRAIG ILNWICIFEIS FIGHT AGAINST AUTISM
... Ms. L0110ETTA SNIMCIHEZ of California.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkq/CREC-2003-03-27/pdf/CREC-2003-03-27.pd
new website socialemotionalpaws.org
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FEATURE (THE CONVERSATION) — The coronavirus pandemic is remaking the
way children learn, and it could have an impact on their eyes.
With schools shifting to online lessons at home, children are spending more time
in front of computer screens, and many parents are ii &��ax ii�,,,ii�-fi�iiirne ii�t,))II�es for
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TV and video games to keep kids occupied while social distancing. In the midst
That can lead to serious eye problems in the future, including some potentialtvj
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This combination - more screen time and less outdoor time - may actually harrr-
children's von and put them at higher risk of developing myopia, or
nearsightedness. That can lead to serious eye problems in the future, including
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interested in health promotion and eye care for children, we're
concerned about the impacts of decreased outdoor time and excess screen tim
vn children's eyes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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What causes myopia?
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6Zcientists are still trying to understand how myopia, or
nearsightedness, develops and progresses.
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Image by E"I"L ITtitl fu- �,
--k,fltd,via Hk'.'.,kr, St. George News
It occurs when the eyeball is too long or the eye's focusing power is too strong,
causing light rays to'loct,))�,s of fl�e instead of on it, which creates a
blurry image. While glasses or contact lenses can correct a child's vision,
research shows that having severe myopia puts children at risk for a number of
6ye problems down the road, including retinal detachment, glaucoma anlY
macular degeneration.
Some factors in whether a child develops myopia, such as genetics, are beyond a
parent's control, but research shows that other risks can be reduced.
A review of 25 yq; 9, imseaiimll� found that working up close - like reading or
using a tablet - increased the odds of myopia.
For example, a nationwide study in Taiwan found that after-school study
programs with lots of closeup work were associated with an �iii,,,ii�qmased Hfl0c&flfll��pod
of
� j among children ages 7 to 12. A study of Chinese
schoolchildren found that increased time spent working with the eyes focused or
something less than 20 centimeters away was associated with myopia.
Researchers in Ireland found that greater than three hours of screen time per day
increased the odds of myopia in schoolchildren, and investigators in Denmark
3
found that the risk of myopia approximately doubled in Danish teenagers who
used screen devices for more than six hours per day.
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Some studies now suggest that spending time outdoors may be able to slow the
:x,nset and progression of nearsightedness.
In Taiwan, first grade students at schools with programs designed to increase
their outdoors time to I I hours or more each week had less progression of
myopia over one year compared to their peers. Similarly, in China, researchers
found that adding 40 minutes of outdoor activity a day at school reduced the
development of nearsightedness in 6 -year-old children over the next three yearl
Shorter viewing distances indoors may promote abnormal growth of the eye
It is not clear why outdoors time protects against myopia, or why closeup work
could make it worse. One theory is that light intensity and time spent outdoors
regulates the release of dopamine in the retina, which controls the growth of the
eye. Other theories center on how �staiii','ii�qes fl�e fl��r
loct,))�,sed on the retina; shorter viewing distances indoors may promote abnormal
growth of the eye.
Although there is no consensus on how much time children need to spend outside
or the importance of the light intensity they are exposed to, it is possible that
more outdoor time can help to balance out more closeup work, as a study of
Childhood is an important time to think about myopia because myopic children
tend to become more nearsighted over time. The age of myopia onset is the most
significant predictor of severe myopia later in life.
Globally, rates of myopia have been rising. The prevalence of myopia among
children ages 6-19 years is estimated at around 40% in Europe and North Americ
7-nd higher in Asia. By mideentury, researchers studying the trends have
.z.-stimated that 11��4[ltll�e wqiijWs qqt1))flW 0','pe inyqp�r.
Such high rates of myopia also come with an economic burden. The potential lost
productivity resulting from myopia was nearly US$250 billion in 2015.
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Parents can help by carefully managing their children's screen time to suppo
zducational use while limiting cartoons and video games. They can also
zncourage more outdoors activities while maintaining social distancing.
image, St. George News
Having clear rules, setting limits on screen time and parents'
communication style have been associated with less screen time
7-mong children. Parental modeling also influences how much time
children spend watching TV.
Parents can help by carefully managing their children's screen time to support
educational use while limiting cartoons and video games. They can also encourage more
outdoors activities while maintaining social distancing.
image, St. George News
Having clear rules, setting limits on screen time and parents'
communication style have been associated with less screen time
s
7-mong children. Parental modeling also influences how much time
children spend watching TV.
The that children under 5
spend one hour or less per day on digital devices, and children under
I spend no time on digital devices. The G�N�U��&�r&qls
daily outdoor play, no screen time for those under age 2,
a maximum of 1-2 hours per day for kids ages 2 to 5 and guided
screen time with frequent breaks for kids over 5.
Parents and teachers can also check out helpful tips for eye
health Mm)iiirri1,J[,,Im Acadeiii rr,iI,�
,y. Educators can
find iumsoa,),IIumes to prepare learning materials. Here are some other
recommendations:
Take a 20 -second break from closeup work every 20
minutes.
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As we plan the future of education in the age of COVID-19, schools
and policyrnakers must consider children's vision needs while
designing new initiatives. Schools, teachers and parents can work
together to incorporate eye health strategies and protect children as
they learn online.
Written by,','� )I )I a n d 0 1IMIIIA I
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative
Commons license. Read the original article
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