Fall time = increased screen time

Written by Alberta Association of Optometrists

As fall closes in and the daily family routine focuses more on school and work, now is the perfect time to review the checklist on how to care for our eyes when using electronic devices. 

It’s important to understand the impacts of screen time on your own eyes and those of your children. As the amount of time children are spending looking at screens – computers, tablets, smart phones, video games, television – increases at home and school, the risk of myopia (or nearsightedness, which means things at a distance are blurry) also increases. It is projected that by 2050, half of the world will have myopia. There are life-long vision impacts when children develop myopia early in life, and they can also develop sight-threatening diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, and retinal detachment. Children’s visual systems continue to develop until they become adults, which means what we do now can support our child’s eye health into adulthood.

As adults, the amount of time spent on electronic devices is growing as our day-to-day life has become increasingly digitized. Digital eye strain is caused by several factors, including staring at close-up objects for extended periods of time. Regardless of your age, there are symptoms everyone can experience.

Symptoms to watch for include:

• Headaches
• Eye strain
• Blurred vision
• Eye irritation
• Double vision
• Excessive tearing or dry eyes
• Stinging or burning eyes
• Excessive blinking

Although some children may report burning, itchy or tired eyes or even blurry vision when using electronic devices, many children may ignore or not report discomfort, especially if they are enjoying a task. This makes it very important for a parent to be on the lookout for these symptoms.

Regardless of age, there are some prevention tips we can all put to work:

• Position screens about an arm’s length from eyes and 20 degrees below eye level. Ensure children hold reading material (phones or books) the length of their forearm away from their face. Children can develop an inward turning eye when they hold a device too close to their face – within 30cm – for extended periods of time.
• Keep the room lighting at the same brightness as the computer screen. Don’t stare at the monitor in a dark room. You can minimize reflected glare on screens by using dimmer switches on lights.
• If watching a video, move it to a television screen instead of a small phone.
• Take eye health breaks. Every 20 minutes look at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. If you’re close to a window, a glance to the great outdoors is ideal to take in some distance. Better yet, schedule outdoor family time and give everyone’s eyes a well-deserved break.
• Put electronics away one to two hours before heading to bed and give your eyes a break. It’s also the perfect time to charge devices and keep them away from the bedroom.
• Blink fully. People tend to blink less than half as often during computer use and some don’t completely close their eyes when blinking, which can result in dry eyes. If you develop dry eyes, ensure you use appropriate eye drops prescribed by your optometrist.

There is recommended screen times¹ for children:

• Up to two years old: Zero screen time, except for live video-chatting, using programs such as Skype and Facetime. This should take place with parental support.
• Two to five years old: Limit to one hour per day. What the child is viewing should be monitored by a parent to ensure it is appropriate for the child’s age. This will allow parents to discuss the content and provide context to what they are viewing.
• Five to 18 years old: Ideally, no more than two hours per day of recreational screen time. It’s difficult to monitor the total hours when combined with school. However, parents should consider the impact on their child’s development and needs.

The best way to ensure the eye health of your family is to book an annual eye exam with your optometrist. If family members have concerns with digital eye strain, this is also a perfect time to speak to your optometrist about options. These can range from specialty designed eyeglass lenses, soft contact lenses, and nighttime Atropine eye drops. It’s important to get the best solution for your eyes and your needs. If you don’t have a family optometrist, you can find one at optometrists.ab.ca by clicking on Find an Optometrist. Adding your postal code will provide you with a list of clinics close to you.

Enjoy the fall family time and all the beautiful colors!

For more information about your family vision and eye health care, visit optometrists.ab.ca.

¹Recommendations of the Canadian Association of Optometrists/Canadian Ophthalmological Society.

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