Three expert tips to protect your child’s eye health in a digital world | Specsavers: Bright Eyes
Screens have become a central part of children’s lives, shaping how they learn, play and connect with the world. But while they offer many benefits, they also come with risks.
The rise in conditions such as myopia (short-sightedness) among children and the behavioural changes linked to today’s digitally led lifestyles highlight the need to establish healthy screen habits early. By fostering these habits, parents and caregivers can support their children’s wellbeing and development.
The question isn’t how we wrestle screens away from our kids but instead how we might better manage their use, encourage outdoor time and teach our children everyday habits to protect their eye health.
Dr Sumudu Mallawaarachchi is a fellow at Wollongong University who researches digital childhoods. She says a balanced approach to screen use can ensure children don’t miss out on vital activities such as outdoor play and imaginative exploration.
“It’s all about balance,” Mallawaarachchi says. “There are many developmentally beneficial opportunities children gain from unstructured or imaginative play.”
Paying close attention to your child’s behaviour will help you determine if their screen use is out of balance.
Stephanie Doan, a Specsavers optometrist, is familiar with the warning signs of too much screen time. “The most common symptoms are sore red or dry eyes, eyes that might water a bit, they might have blurred vision, or develop a sensitivity to light and headaches,” Doan says. “The biggest thing is children won’t recognise that these symptoms are associated with the screen.”
Because children are unlikely to articulate their symptoms, Doan recommends watching out for a few obvious signs that your child’s eyesight is strained. “Are your kids just staring at the screen? Are they rubbing their eyes? Are they squinting? Sometimes, you might notice that they look away [from the screen] and do really big blinks.”
Before it gets to that, Doan can’t overstate the importance of regular eye exams. “We recommend that children have their first eye test before they start school, or earlier if you notice any issues, and then every two years. Keep in mind that children’s eye tests are fun. We have a lot of charts and pictures. It’s more interactive and not about sitting still.
“A regular eye test is a helpful tool to monitor eye health and vision as children progress through their school years. And clear vision helps set kids up to achieve good outcomes both academically and socially.”
Doan recommends booking regular eye tests so kids become comfortable with the process, and optometrists get to know their patients. “The more regularly an optometrist sees your child, the better they will know what is normal,” Doan says. “They can then pick up on issues such as myopia earlier, and with myopia, the sooner it is detected and treated the better the outcome.”
Modelling good screen behaviour can go a long way towards keeping the whole family’s eyes healthy. “It’s about having a healthy relationship with screens, setting good boundaries, educating ourselves and giving our children some tools,” Doan says.
Here is a quick and easy guide to how screen use and healthy eyes can go together.
1. Thoughtful usage
Since so much of our lives are now spent on screens, experts such as Mallawaarachchi tend to reframe screen time as screen use. Screen use guidelines prioritise balance, competency and health impacts, and recognise the essential role of screens in education and entertainment, considering broader aspects of screen use than just time. Mallawaarachchi says: “To be more intentional with children’s screen use it helps to ask: what purpose is this screen use serving? Caregivers have to remember children are often looking to them, so modelling that self-regulated use, stopping when needed, delaying when needed, not giving into distractions, is very important.”
2. Regular eye tests
Doan says: “We know that prolonged screen use is hard on the eyes, and with the rise of myopia among children, regular eye tests are vital for monitoring developing eyes – especially because they grow so fast.” She recommends getting children comfortable with the process, and constancy. “Make a habit of booking a regular eye test by making it part of their overall health checkups.”
An eye test is more than just a vision check; it’s an overall eye health exam. And it’s critically important for kids to have their eyes tested in the pre-school years and then regularly after that so that any issues can be detected and treated. “There are myopia control treatments now, but the earlier we can intervene the better,” Doan says.
3. 20/20/20 rule
While kids are engaged in long periods of screen use, it is essential they break that staring spell. The 20/20/20 rule is a simple, effective strategy to reduce eye strain caused by prolonged screen exposure. It is straightforward: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to focus on something 20 metres away. The 20/20/20 rule encourages frequent breaks, allowing your eyes to relax and refocus. Doan says that this rule is also good practice for shared screen use.
She says: “As caregivers, we can model this rule and observe behaviour. Make comments like: ‘You are squinting; that means you need a break.’ Link the behaviour to the screen.”
By incorporating these simple habits into your daily routine, you can help keep children’s screen use in balance, while protecting bright young eyes.
Optometrists around the country are encouraging parents and carers to keep monitoring screen time and book their children in for an eye test. Find a local Specsavers near you.
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