[Kok! Health] If You Watched Your Smartphone for 20 Minutes... Your Eyes Should Rest for 50 Seconds

As the age at which children first use electronic devices gets younger, many young children spend all day at home looking at smartphones. However, focusing on one spot for a long time can seriously harm a child's eye health. This is because the lens's ability to adjust focus deteriorates, which can lead to myopia. Medically, a decline in vision is commonly referred to as myopia. Myopia means that the eyeball lengthens, causing the focal point, which should be on the retina, to form in front of it. Objects appear clear when viewed up close, but distant objects are blurry.

After watching smartphone videos for about 20 minutes, it is important to rest the eyes by looking at scenes outside the window or other distant objects at least 4 meters away for at least 50 seconds. Also, environments that are too dark or too bright can induce myopia and should be avoided. Research shows that getting enough sunlight increases dopamine secretion in the body, which helps prevent myopia.

Vision tests are basic examinations that diagnose refractive errors a child may have and help maintain good vision through accurate prescriptions. The Korean Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Society recommends visiting an ophthalmologist whenever eye abnormalities are suspected, regardless of age, and having annual vision tests starting from age 3. Professor Moon Ye-ji of the Pediatric Ophthalmology Department at Seoul Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital said, “Children's visual development is generally completed around ages 8 to 10, so it is important to manage vision well during kindergarten and early elementary school years.”

If vision worsens, it is important to get glasses fitted promptly. Some parents worry that wearing glasses might make vision worse, but this is not true. Glasses create a clear retinal image and stimulate visual development, so it is important to wear them on time if needed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.