Adjust Your Child’s Workspace

Take note of your child’s device usage habits. Poor lighting or glare on the screen can cause your child to have trouble focusing on the subject matter on-screen, causing eye strain.

Additionally, holding devices too close or sitting too close to the TV can cause strain on the eyes. If they are using a computer, improper posture can cause sore muscles and discomfort.

Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain

If your child begins to complain of certain specific symptoms, they may be struggling with digital eye strain. It is important to have a conversation about the proper usage of digital devices with your child.

Digital eye strain can present as sore eyes, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain.

If you notice your child is experiencing these symptoms, it give us a call so we can assess their eyes and the impact digital eye strain may be having on them.

Proper Usage Habits Save Eyes

There are a few ways to avoid the onset of digital eye strain that you can adopt and instruct your child to adopt as well.

Positioning

If your child uses their device at a table, have them sit upright with their feet flat on the floor. They should be gazing slightly downward at the screen and should be sitting around 25 inches away, or an arm’s length.

The room with the device should be well-lit with no glare reflecting on the screen. If glare is unavoidable, anti-glare screen covers can be purchased.

Remember to Take a Break

If your child is using devices for long periods, have them take frequent breaks to rest their eyes. The 20-20-20 rule is an excellent method to adopt for reducing eye strain.

Every 20 minutes of continuous device use, have your child take a 20-second break to focus their eyes on something 20 feet away. Additionally, every 2 hours, have them take a 15-minute break to rest their eyes.

Digital eye strain can be avoided with sufficient knowledge and care. We can provide you and your child with that valuable knowledge. If you’d like to learn more, please book an appointment.

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