As if the world wasn’t hurtling toward being completely digital already, the 2020 pandemic amplified acceleration. For more than a year, children have been remote learning and dependent on virtual forms of entertainment and communication while in-person learning and social interaction are at a halt. If you, like many parents, are concerned about your children’s eyes and vision in a digital world, Viteyes is here to help.
First, it’s important to know that while staring at screens all day can impact the developing eye, there are ways to reduce the risk of long-term negative consequences. Join us in today’s post as we offer a few ways you can help protect your children’s eyes in a virtual world.
Teach Your Kids to Be Smart Operators
It can feel downright impossible to control or limit screen time these days. With remote learning, video chat for social distancing, and relying heavily on television for entertainment as an alternative to going out, you can easily drive yourself mad thinking about all the time you and your kids spend in front of a screen each day. It’s important to remember that this is a weird time for everyone and in no way reflects on your parenting abilities. With that said, rather than stressing yourself out or attempting to limit screen time, the key is to teach your children to be smarter operators. What we mean by that is have the discussions with your children about safe screen use and how to make them more comfortable. Some good tips to teach them (and, begin practicing yourself if you aren’t already!) include:
- Enforce the 20-20-20 rule! Every 20 minutes (at a minimum), look 20 feet away from the screen for at least 20 seconds. We highly recommend that you get up, look around, and give your eyes, mind, and body the quick break it needs to recharge. Gaze out the window or go outside when you can.
- Blink! Sometimes this may require conscious thought. When we stare at screens, we tend to blink less, which dries out eyes and can lead to eye fatigue. Simply blinking will help keep your eyes lubricated.
- Maintain a good position. We will spare you the ergonomics lesson for this post, but screens should be at least 18 inches from your eyes (ideally, two-feet). Additionally, screens, including handheld devices, should be just below eye level. Avoid looking up or down at the screen.
- Adjust the screen and room brightness. Avoid always using a screen in a dark room, and adjust the brightness to avoid eye strain.
- If you need to, increase the font size of your screen. Never squint to read text or lean closer to the screen.
Create a Barrier
Regardless of how much positioning and breaks your kids take, the fact still remains that they are staring at a screen. Think about your skin in the sun and where you cannot avoid exposure, the best course of action is to create a barrier. Apply the same theory to screens and your child’s eyes. Use anti-glare or blue light blocking films, screens, or glasses to create a barrier between the screen and your child’s eyes. At Viteyes, we offer blue light blocking glasses your children can wear to protect their eyes. But let’s face it, as children go from remote learning to FaceTiming their grandparents, to relaxing while watching their favorite movie, they won’t always remember to wear their blue light glasses. Viteyes also offers a nutritional supplement to help protect your kids’ eyes 24/7 from the inside out.
Viteyes Blue Light Defender™ Kids chocolate berry chews are packed with lutein and zeaxanthin to naturally filter blue light, AstaReal® Astaxanthin to combat tired eyes.
Plan Eye Healthy Snacks
Nutrition plays a big part in the health of any organ, and your children’s eyes are no exception! At Viteyes, we talk a lot about the positive impact of proper nutrition on vision and eye health. To gain some insight into eye healthy snacks and meals, visit our other posts on the topic:
Take Care of Your Eyes While Boosting your Immune System
Encouraging Eye Nutrition in Kids and Teens
An important part of eye nutrition is hydration, so encourage your kids to drink plenty of water and healthy fluids (and, the bathroom breaks provide screen breaks for their eyes!). To get the benefit of eye-healthy snacks in a convenient once-daily supplement, try Viteyes Blue Light Defender™ Kids chews.
To learn more about protecting your child’s developing eyes, visit our web page, Screen Time & Your Kids’ Eyes or browse some of our other articles on the subject. To begin promoting optimal eye health for your kids, order your blue light defender glasses and supplements today!
