大象传媒

An increase in screen time and a decrease in time outdoors may be having a longterm effect on children's eyesight, according to new research from Hong Kong. In just eight months during the pandemic, they found the same number of cases as in an 18-month period before the pandemic

Jason CS Yam, lead author of the report, explains the potential impact of lockdown on eye health. He says that insufficient time outdoors reduces the body's production of dopamine, a hormone that helps to inhibit the elongation of the eyeball, which can cause myopia. He advises adults and children to spend at least two hours outside each day as a preventative measure.

Photo: Kids and adult looking at a screen Credit: Getty Images