Sprint-like cardiac dynamics support repeated acrobatic lunges in foraging rorqual whales.

The rapid advancement of information and communication technologies has profoundly influenced individuals’ behaviours and habits across all areas of life (OECD, ). Today, technology has become an indispensable component of many domains, including education, healthcare, work life, and social interactions (Hooft Graafland, ). In line with this transformation, a notable increase in internet usage has been observed among individuals of all ages worldwide, including in Türkiye (TUİK, ). Early adolescence is a critical developmental stage during which biological, psychological, and social changes occur rapidly. During this period, adolescents’ engagement with technology intensifies, with mobile devices, social media, and video games playing a significant role in their daily lives (Valkenburg and Peter, ). Consequently, for children and adolescents who have been born into and are growing up in a digital world, technology increasingly permeates their lives, both positively and negatively (Reid Chassiakos ., ; Livingstone and Blum-Ross, ). The central role of technology in daily life has introduced several risks, particularly for children and adolescents. Excessive and purposeless use of technology may foster addictive behaviours, contributing to increased screen time and technology dependency among young individuals (Reid Chassiakos , ). The World Health Organization (WHO, ) defines screen time as the time spent passively watching screen-based entertainment on devices such as televisions, computers, or mobile phones, explicitly excluding physically active screen-based games from this definition. In a study conducted among middle school students in Türkiye, 10.7% were identified as internet-dependent, and 11.7% were considered at risk (Ulaş Karaahmetoğlu, ). A growing body of research has reported that technology addiction may have direct and indirect negative effects on the physical and psychological health of children and adolescents (Paulich ., ; Priftis and Panagiotakos, ). Increased screen time and digital device dependency have been associated with various vision-related problems, such as digital eye strain (Reid Chassiakos , ) and myopia, and may adversely impact developmental outcomes, academic performance, and overall quality of life among youth (Paulich et al., ; Jain ., ; Priftis and Panagiotakos, ). Recent studies have shown that the increase in screen time, along with rising digital addiction, contributes to the growing prevalence of visual problems such as digital eye strain and myopia among children (Foreman ., ). For example, a comprehensive meta-analysis conducted by Ha . () revealed that each additional hour of daily screen time increases the risk of myopia in children by 21%. In particular, studies conducted in regions with high rates of internet and gaming addiction – such as Southeast Asia – have reported that 19% of students experience symptoms of DES (Balhara ., ). Digital eye strain is defined as a clinical condition resulting from prolonged use of digital screens and includes symptoms such as blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches, and difficulty focusing (Almahmoud ., ).