The Goal. To address the rising incidence of vision problems in children.

The Problem. Modern technology has forever shaped the way we interact with the world around us. From communicating with friends and family to conducting our errands, everything has been made convenient through our mobile devices and the internet. But with that convenience comes a price, much of which is paid by the younger generation who hasn’t experienced a gadget-free world. Lots of kids these days prefer to stay indoors and watch TV or play mobile games instead of engaging in sports. Worse, more and more children are suffering from poor eyesight at such young ages due to chronic exposure to TV, cell phones, and other devices. On top of vision problems such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, kids experience headaches, eye fatigue, and other issues associated with chronic screen exposure.

The Solution. While some visual disorders are caused by genetics and other nonmodifiable factors, some of them directly result from abusing the eyes. Technology use is only expected to climb, but there are a few solutions to help mitigate its effects on children’s eyesight.

First, parents should limit their kids’ screen time. Ideally, children should only be allowed to use their gadgets on weekdays if required in their studies, and using their devices for entertainment should be limited to the weekends and for a few hours only. Another idea is to allow fun screen time as a reward. Parents should enforce strict boundaries so that gadget use shouldn’t be heavily ingrained in their kids’ routines. Whenever possible, children should be encouraged to engage in physical games and interact with other children instead of spending all day in front of the TV and other screens. Parents might also want to purchase higher-end devices with great display quality. It’s also a must to install an anti-glare screen protector for added protection to the eyes.

Unfortunately, modern learning also involves tablet/computer use for education, which was even made worse by distant learning requirements during the pandemic. Now that things are slowly going back to normal, schools should encourage students to read more physical books instead of relying on apps or computer programs. If using computer screens is unavoidable, teachers should provide frequent breaks so that students can rest their eyes.

Companies such as Via Screens are working with various companies and government institutions globally. Educational systems can team up with them to get anti-glare screen protectors at heavily discounted prices to ensure that their students have some eye protection. Feel free to reach out to them to view your options.