Apparently, too much smartphone usage could cause convergent strabismus. Strabismus, commonly known as cross-eyed or wall-eyed, is a vision condition in which someone cannot align both eyes concurrently under normal conditions. One or both of the eyes may turn in, out, up or down. The study also found that the children held smartphones too close to their face. During the study, it was noted that the children were holding smartphones eight to twelve inches from their face. The researchers said that the condition is becoming more prevalent in children when it had previously been quite rare. The South Korean study was based on 12 children aged between 7 and 16 who used smartphones for between 4 and 8 hours a day. The doctors found that they were able to successfully treat this effect in nine of the children by forbidding them from using smartphones for nearly two months. This, they say, proves the link between excessive smartphone usage and the condition. According to the researchers, users should not look at a smartphone screen for over 30 minutes at a time. “Children showing signs of deviated eyes should consult a doctor immediately,” they added. Recently, Samsung released an app that will warn kids if their faces are too close to the smartphones and tablets and help avoid eye strain when these devices. Reducing the risk of convergent strabismus seems like another worthy reason to install it.
