Recently a concerned school teacher asked me for help. She is noticing changes in work habits of her Year 7 students, aged 11-12. What was our advice and recommendations regarding device use and working habits?
As optometrists we look for clinical guidelines and studies, to give evidence and support to any recommendations. After 4 days in Tokyo at the International Myopia Congress I have met and heard many of the people who are researching and following young people’s eyesight. But clinical studies are often slow to produce results, especially in relation to children.
In terms of preventing myopia (short-sightedness) the biggest recommendation is making sure young children have two hours of outdoors time each day. This has been shown to delay the onset of myopia. Rock solid, with loads of clinical evidence to support this advice.
Here are my recommendations:
Not too close. This is a great one to tell children, first punch yourself in the chin, then don’t let your book/phone/screen come closer to your eyes than your elbow.
Regular Breaks - 20/20. After 20 minutes working/looking at close range, take a break, for 20 seconds.
Good posture makes sense. Hold your phone or screen directly in front, not looking sideways for long periods which is work for your eyes to coordinate.
The challenge and concern for most parents is around restricting the amount of time young people spend on screens. For more informative, research and resources, visit the website Screen Sensible Use, put together by Julie Cullen, a parent and physiotherapist. Julie is collating research and encouraging us all to consider the long term impact of our increasingly digitally focused lifestyle on children’s development. She has excellent references. My Kid’s Vision is an informative website about myopia, with a useful tool to calculate risks of children becoming myopic.
Meantime, apply common sense and if you have any concerns about your young person’s eyesight have them tested.