British children spend more than four and a half hours a day staring at phones and tablets… and just 40 minutes outdoors

UK children spend more than four and a half hours a day on electrical devices and just 40 minutes outdoors, according to a survey.

That means kids spend a THIRD of their waking hours exhausted by their screens and only 6 percent of their day outdoors.

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The study of 1,500 parents of children ages 6 to 16 found that seven in 10 are dying to get their kids outside more.

But 63 percent sometimes find it difficult to get their child off the devices and into the great outdoors.

This has led to nearly a quarter (22 percent) of moms and dads admitting to being “sad” when their tongs want constant screen time.

The study also found that more than two-thirds believe their children are “screen addicted” these days.

This has compelled 90 percent of parents to limit their children’s screen time, but half find it nearly impossible.

Professor Kathryn J. Saunders, head of the optometry department at Ulster University, also warned of the dangers of early onset myopia (short-sightedness) in young people from constant screen time.

She added that excessive screen time promotes the onset of myopia at an earlier age than previous generations.

Following is a recent study of 120,000 children in China that found the pandemic had a potentially disastrous impact on young people’s vision.

The survey also found that the average UK six- to 16-year-old is spending up to two more hours a day indoors than before the pandemic.

Three quarters of parents admitted they want to protect their children’s vision from excessive screen exposure.

Despite this, seven in ten believe screen time has many benefits, including education, connecting with friends and family, and for their creativity.

OnePoll’s survey was commissioned by vision care company HOYA Lens UK and Ireland.

Andrew Sanders, Professional Services Director at HOYA Lens UK and Ireland, said: “Our survey clearly shows that the majority of parents are unaware that time spent outdoors delays the onset of myopia (short-sightedness) in children can.”

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