The Eye Fund warns especially for ‘high myopia’. That is nearsightedness and initially causes a large minus strength for glasses or lenses. “If we do nothing, high myopia will be the main cause of blindness and visual impairment in the Netherlands by 2050.”
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According to the Eye Fund, reading a lot, watching a lot of TV and staring at computer screens contribute to the development of myopia. Children who rarely play outside are also more likely to become nearsighted.
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Advice Eye Fund
As a rule of life, the fund recommends: after 20 minutes of looking close by, look into the distance for 20 seconds and then be outside for 2 hours a day (the so-called ’20-20-2′ rule). This ‘being outside’ can be done in various ways: for example by taking a break more often or by walking or cycling to school.
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The campaign consists of several parts, including the exhibition Zo te Zien in NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam. “There visitors can see how eyes work, why sight can sometimes be deceiving and how someone with a visual impairment can ‘see’.”
It’s not just kids who have a problem with screen time, by the way. Thanks to the corona crisis, we have all started looking at screens more. This ophthalmologist warned about this in January:
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