On July 13, the first technical standards for children’s glasses were released by the Shanghai Optometric and Optical Association (SOOA) and Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, according to Shine.
The standards are designed for children between 7 and 14 years old and set regulations on the eye-examination procedures as well as the material and weight of glasses. For instance, the frame should not weigh more than 19 grams.
According to the statistics released by the World Health Organization in 2017, the number of Chinese people who have myopia amounts to 0.6 billion. Myopia, also referred to as shortsightedness, causes distant objects to be out of focus while close objects are clear. This, in turn can cause headaches and eyestrain. The myopia rate of primary school students reaches close to 40 percent, which ranks first across the globe.
In Shanghai, the circumstance is slightly worse. According to a report by Sina, more than 50 percent of primary school students across the city are shortsighted, which may explain why SOOA has developed the standards.
“As an ophthalmologist, I would say it’s inappropriate for parents to give their children phones or iPads when they are still very young,” Professor Li Haili, director of ophthalmology at Peking University First Hospital advised to The Paper. “After all, these electronic products are quite addictive. If their kids have to stare at the screens (i.e. for classes or homework), the duration should be controlled at 20 minutes.”
Image via Sina
[Top image via Sohu]
