A giant outdoor snakes and ladders installation has appeared on London’s South Bank, as part of a Specsavers campaign to raise awareness of childhood myopia and the benefits of spending time outdoors.
Specsavers’ new awareness drive follows research revealing that children are spending an average of 45 hours a week indoors, with more than a third of that time spent staring at screens.
The national study of 2,000 parents of children aged 6 to 14 found that kids spend nearly two and a half hours a day on smartphones, tablets, or watching TV.
While 63% of parents said they wish their children spent more time outdoors, 43% admitted that their children prefer screens and most did not recognise early signs of vision problems, such as squinting and headaches.
The campaign urged parents to take early action to reduce the risks of myopia, with the latest research indicating that one in three children are affected by myopia globally.
Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, said: ‘Our optometrists see first-hand the impact prolonged screen use is having on children’s eye health. We want to empower families with knowledge. With myopia cases rising, early diagnosis has never been more important.’
