Nowadays, it’s common to see parents handing over smartphones and gadgets to their children just to make sure they keep quiet and stop throwing tantrums.
However, parents should try to limit exposing the little ones to too much electronic screen as it is doing more harm than good—just like what happened to this little girl from Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. Known as Xiao Man, the two and a half years old little girl was unfortunately diagnosed with severe myopia or extreme short-sightedness at a very early age.
Thanks to her long hours of spending time looking at the mobile phone, the little girl has now developed 900-degree myopia.
It all started when she was only one year old. At that age, Xiao Man’s parents already allowed her to use a smartphone. Just like most kids, Xiao Man is exceptionally quiet and calm when she’s using the phone. Just over the year that followed, Xiao Man suddenly started to squint and frown a lot. Thinking that it’s only a bad habit that she developed, her family didn’t really think about it as something serious.
One day, the parents decided to bring Xiao Man for a check-up and that was the time that they finally learned that their precious little daughter has developed an extremely high degree of myopia.
Even worst, the doctor revealed that the damage done to her eyes was irreversible as she’s clearly too young to use any electronic devices.
The doctor also mentioned that it’s possible for her myopia to get worse as she grows older. The doctor also advised that children below the age of three should not be allowed to use electronic gadgets at all and those aged between three and six should only use them for a maximum of 30 minutes a day.
As this is a serious problem, parents should be on the lookout of these symptoms on their kids as it might be signs of problems with their vision:
1. Frequent blinking
2. Frequent frowning
3. Frequently rubbing eyes
4. Squinting
5. Watching electronic screens and television very closely
Make sure not to allow your little ones to use these devices too early to avoid this harmful effect.
