UNSaveSpara
Expand-Left
The full -screen risk of myopia increases with time in front of screen according to a study. File image. Photo: Gorm Kallestad/NTB/TT
Every extra hour a day in front of the screen increases the risk of myopia by 21 percent according to a new extensive review.
Earlier, researchers have seen a connection between the amount of time we spend in front of screens and the risk of developing myopia. But the results have spread some and in some studies it has been seen that time in front of computers but not phones seem to increase the risk.
Researchers from South Korea, among others, have gone through the overall research in the field and have seen that cutting -by -use can be linked to myopia. In total, they have looked at 45 different studies with over 335,000 participants up to 18 years.
Dose effect
They found that every extra hour spent in front of digital screens per day increases the risk of developing myopia by 21 percent. The largest increase in risk appeared between one and four hours of cutting per day. Those who used a screen for four hours a day had almost twice as high a risk of developing myopia as those who used screen one hour a day. After four hours, the risk increase leveled out.
The researchers, who have published their results in the Jama Network Open, point out that there may be other activities such as reading books and genetic factors that are also behind the risk increase. But since more and more people become closely sighted as different forms of screens occupy an increasing part of our time, they believe that it is likely to have a connection.
Take seriously
They write that since the use of smartphones globally has increased from 22 percent in 2014 to 69 percent in 2023, the connection may be worth taking seriously.
The advice to avoid negative effects on vision is to take breaks. The eye needs to practice focusing on things far away. Daylight has also been shown to be able to reduce the risk of myopia.
A common tip is the so-called 20-20-20 rule. It means that in the meantime in front of a screen you should look 20 meters away every 20 minutes, and keep your eyes on for 20 seconds. In this way, the muscles of the eye get a chance to relax.