The Shadow of the Digital World in Early Adolescence: Effects on Eye Health and Sleep

Abstract

Objective: This research aims to examine the effects of digital device use on eye health and sleep problems in children in early adolescence. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted with 579 students studying in two secondary schools in Izmir. Data were collected using the “Student Health Form” developed by the researchers through face-to-face interviews. Descriptive data were shown as numbers, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The difference between categorical variables was evaluated with the Chi-Square test, and the significance level was accepted as p<,05. Results: It was determined that 75% of the adolescents had a smartphone and 46,6% used digital screens before going to sleep. The average sleep duration was determined as 7,66±1,16 on school days. As screen time increased, problems such as dry eyes, eye pain, difficulty falling asleep, and feeling sleepy at school increased significantly (p<,05). Conclusion: The findings show that the use of digital devices negatively affects the eye health and sleep quality of adolescents. Education and preventive strategies are recommended for the use of digital devices for healthy sleep and eye health.

Keywords

• Digital devices
• Adolescence
• Eye Health
• Sleep Quality.

Erken Ergenlikte Dijital Dünyanın Gölgesi: Göz Sağlığı ve Uyku Üzerindeki Etkileri

Abstract

Amaç: Bu araştırma, erken ergenlik dönemindeki çocuklarda ergenlerin dijital cihaz kullanımının, göz sağlığı ve uyku sorunlarına etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı tipte yürütülen araştırma, İzmir’deki iki ortaokulda öğrenim gören 579 öğrenciyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen “Öğrenci Sağlık Formu” kullanılarak yüz yüze görüşme yöntemiyle toplanmıştır. Tanımlayıcı veriler sayı, yüzde, ortalama ve standart sapma ile gösterilmiştir. Kategorik değişkenler arasındaki farklılık Chi-Square testi ile değerlendirilmiş olup, anlamlılık düzeyi p<,05 olarak kabul edilmiştir. Bulgular: Ergenlerin %75'inin akıllı telefon sahibi olduğu ve %46,6’sının uyumadan önce dijital ekran kullandığı saptanmıştır. Uyku süreleri okul günlerinde ortalama 7,66±1,16 olarak belirlenmiştir. Ekran süreleri arttıkça göz kuruluğu, göz ağrısı, uykuya dalmada güçlük ve okulda uykulu hissetme gibi sorunlar anlamlı olarak artmıştır (p<,05). Sonuç: Elde edilen bulgular, dijital cihaz kullanımının ergenlerin göz sağlığını ve uyku kalitesini olumsuz etkilediğini göstermektedir. Sağlıklı uyku ve göz sağlığı için dijital cihaz kullanımına yönelik eğitim ve önleyici stratejiler önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Dijital cihazlar
• Ergenlik
• Göz Sağlığı
• Uyku Kalitesi

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