An Extra Hour of Screen Time Can Increase Risk of Myopia

Just an extra hour of daily screen time can increase the risk of developing myopia or nearsightedness by 21%, a new study published in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) has found, raising serious concerns about the amount of time today's generation is spending on digital devices.

- RISHITA KHANNA @Bengaluru

With many children and adults clocking several hours a day on phones and computers, doctors say the rising screen exposure could be a major contributor to the growing global burden of 'nearsightedness'.

The findings in the study 'Digital Screen Time and Myopia', drawn from a meta-analysis of 45 studies covering over 3.3 lakh participants with an average age of 9 years, show a clear link between screen time and worsening vision.