What are the negative effects of long screen time on children?

New research reveals that Australian children aged eight and under spend an average of 2.5 hours per day on screens, which is more than double the World Health Organisation’s recommendations.

Richel Lacaba advises other parents not to give their children access to electronic devices while they are young because it is harmful to health. Credit: Richel Lacaba

Key Points

• Working mum of four, Richel Lacaba has discovered strategies to control the screen time of her 2 younger children such as bonding outside the parks or dining out.
• She reiterates that one of the advantages of having tech-savvy children, learning is easy including identifying the alphabet and reading.
• Long use of handheld devices or long screen time resulted in myopia or short-sightedness and ‘text neck’.

According to Simon Kelly an Optometrist in Australia the longer the amount of time their child spends on screens impacts their eye health.

One of the rising concerns is the increasing prevalence of myopia (short-sightedness) brought on by digital eye strain.

And to ensure every child's eye is still in good condition, Optometrists are calling for parents and carers to include an eye test on their health checklist.

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What are the negative effects of long screen time on children?

SBS Filipino

10/02/202308:02

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What is 'Text neck'?

In a study conducted by an Australian that was published on the Health and Wellness website of myDr.com.au for 218 X-rays of

people aged between 18 – 30 found that 41% had a horn-like lump at the base of their skull, it measured between 10-30mm in length.

The experts hypothesised that the lump is a result of poor posture. And that the poor posture is due to the long use of handheld devices such as smartphones and iPads. It’s known as “text neck”.

This bony “horn” is not in itself a danger. What’s of concern is the sustained poor posture and the associated health risks such as:

• headaches
• neck and lower back pain
• foot pain
• fatigue.

To reduce the risks…

• Limit the amount of time spent on handheld devices such as smartphones and ipads.
• Keep your head and chest upright when looking at your screen or watching television.
• Do upper chest and neck exercises.
• Use a specially contoured pillow to support your back when sitting or your neck when lying down.

Healthy Pinoy is SBS Filipino's weekly segment on health. The content provided is for informational purposes only and does not intend to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your GP or doctor for support.