Giving smartphones to pacify children is making matters worse

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Myopia among children was on the rise due to increased exposure to digital screens, Consultant Paediatric Eye Surgeon at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children Dr. Anusha Tennekumbura stated in a recent televised interview.

“Children now spend long hours staring at phones, computers, or TV screens. At the same time, they spend less time outdoors. This shift is altering the structure of their eyes,” she explained.

While prolonged exposure to digital screens was harmful to adults, the impact on children was significantly greater as their bodies were still developing, Dr. Tennekumbura said, noting that according to guidelines in developed countries, children under 18 months should not be exposed to digital screens at all. “Children aged between 18 months and three years can watch age-appropriate, quality programmes for less than one hour a day, and parents should be with them. Children in kindergarten and primary school should have screen time limited to under 90 minutes a day. Older children, who often require technology for educational purposes, should restrict non-educational screen use to less than two hours a day,” she said.

She also raised concerns about parents increasingly using smartphones to pacify their children. “Many parents give phones to their child before meals, claiming it is the only way to calm them down. This habit is often linked to overfeeding. Parents need to understand that children naturally eat less than adults and will usually consume as much as they need. However, some parents insist their child finishes the entire plate of food they’ve prepared,” she said.

Dr Tennekumbura recommended that children’s vision be tested at the age of four or five. In Sri Lanka, however, children typically had their vision checked for the first time in Grade One, through free school clinics. “If a child’s vision problems are not identified during these Grade One screenings, they may go undetected for several years until the next free clinic,” she noted.

She further emphasised that many children lost their vision due to preventable accidents at home or school. Parents and teachers, she urged, must educate children on safety measures to avoid activities that could lead to injuries and potential vision loss.