A recent study found that dry eye disease has increased in school-age children due to prolonged screen time.

Researchers from Ahmedabad-based BJ Medical College (BJMC), Rajkot-based PDU Government Medical College, and Satna-based Government Medical College said children who use devices for more than 3 to 3.5 hours a day are at a higher risk of developing dry eye disease (DED).

Dry eye disease is a condition in which the eyes do not produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly, resulting in discomfort, redness, and vision problems.

“Even an additional half-hour of computer use per day may increase the risk of moderate to severe dry eye. Policy makers should aim to limit children’s screen time to less than 3 hours per day,” they wrote in the study published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.

The research showed that 90% of the participants who were examined at government hospitals for eye-related problems, including 462 school children with an average age of 11 years, had mild to severe dry eye disease, which causes blurred vision, red eyes and itchy or watery eyes.

This condition is associated with 8 to 10 hours of screen time for entertainment, co-curricular and educational purposes.

Additionally, increased screen time and decreased blink rate resulted in a double burden for 20% of children diagnosed with moderate to severe dry eye disease.

According to the study, children with moderate to severe dry eyes spend 60 to 70% more time on screens than children with normal eyes.

When asked about their screen use over the four days, they reported using the computer for 30 minutes to 2 hours for studies and 45 minutes to 2 hours for extracurricular activities. In addition, they used mobile devices for 45 minutes to 2 hours for studies and 2 to 3.5 hours for entertainment every day.

According to a nationwide survey by Common Sense Media, 95% of children aged 0–8 used a mobile device in 2017, with 42% of young children owning their own tablet device.

Children aged 8 and under spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes per day in front of screen media.

The study authors found that the inevitable increase in digital media consumption among youth has brought about new challenges of eye problems and digital eye strain at a younger age, as children’s access to and ownership of mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets) has increased significantly over the past decade.

According to the study, “Parents, educators, and policymakers should aim to limit screen time to less than 3 hours on a daily basis and advocate following the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, look away from the screen, and focus on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.”

The researchers recommended that children should be encouraged to step away from screens for at least 10 minutes every hour.

“Using a simple timer or software program to turn off the screen at regular intervals may help the child remember,” they wrote.