Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 4 hrs ago
Eye specialist urges balanced screen habits to protect children's vision
Eye specialist Sirin Jouharji says long screen use can strain children's eyes, causing dryness and headaches.
She says using a phone does not automatically damage a child's eyes, but close viewing and little time outdoors may raise the risk of short-sightedness.
She recommends the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Jouharji also advises about 90 minutes of outdoor activity each day.
She recommends no screens for children under 18 months and no more than an hour a day for children aged two to five, with parents choosing suitable content.
For older children, screen use should not disrupt sleep, exercise, play or family time, and devices should be put away in the hour before bed.
Her aim is balanced use, not a ban, alongside more movement and social contact.
Eye specialist Dr. Sirin Jouharji said prolonged, close-up screen use can cause eye strain, dryness and headaches in children.
She said screen use, together with limited outdoor activity, is associated with a higher risk of myopia and its progression.
Jouharji recommended the 20-20-20 rule and about 90 minutes of outdoor activity each day.
She advised avoiding screens for children under 18 months and limiting use to preferably no more than one hour a day for children aged two to five.
She said the aim is to teach healthy, balanced technology use rather than deprive children of it.
- Who
- Dr. Sirin Jouharji, an eye specialist.
- What
- She advised families on balanced screen habits to help protect children's vision.
- When
- The article was published on October 14, 2026.
- Where
- Okaz reported her advice.
- Why
- Prolonged, close-up screen use can cause eye strain, dryness and headaches; combined with limited outdoor activity, it is associated with a higher risk of myopia.
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- Eye specialist
- Dr. Sirin Jouharji
- Eye breaks
- Look at something about 6 metres away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes
- Outdoor activity
- About 90 minutes daily
- Children under 18 months
- Keep screens away
- Children aged 2–5
- Preferably no more than one hour of screen use daily