33% of UAE children spend 7 hours daily on laptop, phone screens: Study

As children across the UAE return to classrooms this month, Barraquer Eye Hospital UAE is urging parents and educators to take a closer look, literally, at the impact of screens on young eyes.

- Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

With schoolwork increasingly moving online and recreational screen use at an all-time high, eye health experts are raising concerns about a silent but growing epidemic: vision problems in children linked to prolonged digital device use.

From completing homework on tablets to chatting with friends on smartphones and watching videos on laptops, children today spend more hours in front of screens than ever before. A recent survey found that more than one-third of children in the UAE spend over seven hours a day using screens, far exceeding the safe limits recommended by the World Health Organization.

Myopia, or nearsightedness is one of the most significant concerns linked to sustained near work on devices. According to a 2023 global meta-analysis of more than 335,000 children, each additional hour of daily screen use increases the risk of myopia by 218. At four or more hours, the risk nearly doubles.

"This is not just about blurred vision," explains Dr. Alina Mugnani Deza, a Specialist Ophthalmologist for Barraquer Eye Hospital UAE. "Childhood myopia can progress rapidly, increasing the likelihood of serious eye diseases later in life. With so much learning and leisure happening on screens, parents must be proactive in protecting their children’s eyes."