TV, Tweeting, and Children’s Eyes

It is obvious to all of us that children are spending more time indoors watching television or playing multimedia games and socializing across the web. Many times these activities become an obsession and take away from homework completion and outdoor activities. I have previously reported on the fact that more children and teenagers are becoming nearsighted because of the frequnecy and intensity of close work.

But a recent study in the Journal “Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology” has correlated the reduction of outdoor physical activity with narrowing of the blood vessels in the retina. 1,492 six year olds participated in the study and their parents completed questionnaires about their time expenditures. There was a definite correlation between blood vessel narrowing in the retina and to watching more television. Who knows what other blood vessels or organ systems are being affected?

The eye is certainly the window to the brain, and can reveal many things. This is one more piece of evidence that kids need to be kids and have a balance between physical and mental activities. The outdoor games provide an opportunity to socialize, burn calories, and develop physical skills that will provide them with oppurtinities later in life.