August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month!

As children spend more time looking at screens there is a growing concern about potential harm to their vision. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (2019) provides 10 tips to help protect your child’s eyes from computer strain

• Set a kitchen timer or a smart device timer to remind them.
• Alternate reading an e-book with a real book and encourage kids to look up and out the window every two chapters.
• After completing a level in a video game, look out the window for 20 seconds.
• Pre-mark books with a paperclip every few chapters to remind your child to look up. On an e-book, use the “bookmark” function for the same effect.
• Avoid using a computer outside or in brightly lit areas, as the glare on the screen can create strain.
• Adjust the brightness and contrast of your computer screen so that it feels comfortable to you.
• Use good posture when using a computer and when reading.
  Encourage your child to hold digital media farther away, 18 to 24 inches is ideal.
• Create a distraction that causes your child to look up every now and then.
• Remind them to blink when watching a screen.

The advancement of technology continues to grow. Protecting children from potential harm due to excess screen time is important. Digital eye strain can cause children to experience dry eye, headaches, and blurred vision. Children are no different from adults when it comes to experiencing digital eyestrain (American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2019).

For more information check out this website:
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/resources/articles

-Richard Crisostomo PMHNP-BC

Resources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2019). Children’s eye health and safety. Retrieved from: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/resources/articles