Myopia and Digital Screen Time: How to Protect Your Vision

Protecting your child’s vision is crucial during the formative years. The International Myopia Institute stresses early eye checkups, especially with the recent dramatic increase in digital screen time. These visits can help provide early screenings and treatments for your child’s myopia. Here are the details you must consider to protect your child’s vision from myopia.

Myopia and Computer Use

Children can experience the onset of nearsightedness or myopia, which is a focusing problem. It happens when the light bends as it reaches the eyes. The elongated shape of the eye makes the light focus on the front part of the retina. Another cause is a steep cornea. This makes distant objects blurry but close objects clear. 

Statistics show that myopia cases in kids have dramatically increased in the past five decades. Children six years of age are the most affected group of kids. There has also been a significant increase in adult myopia cases. Research reveals that improving digital technology influences the increase in cases of nearsightedness. 

The birth of mobile devices has made screen time longer than it should be. The pandemic has only made digital screen time even longer. This is taking a toll on your kid’s eye health. Studies show that young people spend almost seven hours each day on their digital devices. If they are having fun, the screen time becomes longer. 

The Importance of Screen Breaks

A digital device is helpful in gaining more information. It also allows you access to entertainment and communication channels. Even so, frequent exposure to these digital screens can increase your child’s risk for myopia. With proper screen breaks, you can prevent blurry vision, eye fatigue, and dry eyes. 

How to Protect Your Child’s Vision

Kids often get too engaged in what they are doing. Because of this, they do not notice eyestrain symptoms. You can remind your child to walk away from the digital screen for about 10 minutes. Looking away from the screen for 20 minutes can help. Focusing on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds or more can help relax the eyes. You can set up a timer or get an app to help your child remember to take screen breaks. 

Control your child’s screen time by scheduling their physical activities and sleep. Outdoor play can divert your child’s attention from digital screens. This can give your child’s eyes a good focusing workout. Studies show that exposure to UV rays from sunlight can also help prevent myopia. UV rays trigger dopamine production, which dilates the pupils. This event gives more light to the retina, allowing it to focus better. 

Making sure that your child gets enough sleep can prevent tired eyes. It can also give your child enough rest after a day full of activities. Using digital devices late at night can cause sleep deprivation. This can affect your child’s performance the next day. 

Protecting your eyes from myopia will allow your child to have a healthy and enjoyable young life. At International Opticians, we work with our patients to achieve their eye health goals. 

Please visit our clinic in Miami, Florida, for an in-person consultation. Call us at 786-460-1081 to schedule an appointment or inquire about our myopia treatment packages.