Benefits of Two Hours of Outdoor Activity Daily for Children's Eye Health

Maintaining children’s eye health in the digital era poses a particular challenge for parents. Eye specialist Dr Tri Wahyu, Sp.M, a graduate of Padjadjaran University, stressed the importance of outdoor activity for a minimum of two hours each day. This practice is considered effective for preserving visual function whilst optimally supporting child growth and development. According to Tri, outdoor activities benefit not only the eyes but also have a positive impact on various aspects of a child’s development. ‘The aim, besides supporting the child’s growth and development, is that it will also influence social aspects, the development of visual function, and support for bone growth,’ he stated during a discussion in Jakarta, quoted on Thursday (11/6). Exposure to sunlight, especially in the morning, is highly recommended for children. For those who already have myopia, outdoor activity becomes crucial to suppress the risk of the condition worsening and to reduce dependency on gadget screens. Tri explained that excessive screen time triggers stimulation for the eyeball to grow longer. This condition causes the risk of myopia to increase because the eyes are continuously forced to view objects at close range for extended periods. In line with this, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI) have issued firm recommendations. Children under five years old are advised to be completely free from gadget exposure and to be directed more towards physical activity. On this occasion, Tri also corrected a mistaken perception in society regarding ‘lazy eye’. Many consider excessive gadget use to be the main cause of lazy eye, but medically this is inaccurate. Lazy eye, according to him, is related to the eye nerve function and the brain’s occipital lobe not developing maximally for seeing. This condition causes visual disturbances that make the eye appear droopy or sleepy, but it is not caused by the duration of staring at a screen.