Over 150 clinicians in England have expressed concern that the amount of time children spend using screens in schools could be detrimental to their physical and developmental health. In an open letter, they stated that tablets and laptops are being used without a full understanding of potential long-term health impacts, including on eyesight.
The specialists reported prescribing glasses, hearing aids, and speech therapy to children for issues they believe are being exacerbated by school screen use. They highlighted studies suggesting a rise in short-sightedness, with one analysis of over 5 million participants indicating an increase from approximately 24% in 1990 to nearly 36% by 2023. This condition is associated with an increased risk of various eye health problems.
Clinicians urged a reduction in screen use within schools, warning that the damage could worsen if not addressed. They also noted that children with special educational needs are disproportionately assigned screen-based learning. One signatory suggested that parents have not been given the option to opt out of what they described as
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Source: bbc.co.uk
