According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), parents severely underestimate the time their children spend on digital devices. What follows is a press release issued by AOA that speaks to the need to monitor your child’s use of digital devices and suggests the guidelines to help prevent or reduce eye and vision problems associated with digital eye strain.

AOA Survey Report on Digital Eye Strain

ST. LOUIS — An AOA survey reports that 83 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 17 estimate they use an electronic device for three or more hours each day. However, a separate AOA survey of parents revealed that only 40 percent of parents believe their children use an electronic device for that same amount of time. Eye doctors are concerned that this significant disparity may indicate that parents are more likely to overlook warning signs and symptoms associated with vision problems due to technology use, such as digital eye strain.

Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain

Eighty percent of children surveyed report experiencing burning, itchy or tired eyes after using electronic devices for long periods of time. These are all symptoms of digital eye strain, a temporary vision condition caused by prolonged use of technology. Additional symptoms may include headaches, fatigue, loss of focus, blurred vision, double vision or head and neck pain.

Optometrists are also growing increasingly concerned about the kinds of light everyday electronic devices give off – high-energy, short-wavelength blue and violet light – and how those rays might affect and even age the eyes. Today’s smartphones, tablets, LED monitors and even flat screen TVs all give off light in this range, as do cool-light compact fluorescent bulbs. Early research shows that overexposure to blue light could contribute to eye strain and discomfort and may lead to serious conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can cause blindness.

Protecting Your Eyes Against Digital Eye Strain

When it comes to protecting eyes and vision from digital eye strain, taking frequent visual breaks is important. Children should make sure they practice the 20-20-20 rule: when using technology or doing near work, take a 20-second break, every 20 minutes and view something 20 feet away. According to the survey, nearly one-third (32 percent) of children go a full hour using technology before they take a visual break instead of every 20 minutes as recommended.

Additionally, children who normally do not require the use of eyeglasses may benefit from glasses prescribed specifically for intermediate distance for computer use. And children who already wear glasses may find their current prescription does not provide optimal vision for viewing a computer screen. An eye doctor can provide recommendations for each individual patient.

AOA Recommendations

The AOA recommends every child have an eye exam by an optometrist soon after 6 months of age and before age 3. Children now have the benefit of yearly comprehensive eye exams thanks to the Pediatric Essential Health Benefit in the Affordable Care Act, through age 18.

“Parents should know that vision screenings miss too many children who should be referred to an optometrist for an eye examination to correct vision,” added Dr. Roberts. “Eye exams performed by an eye doctor are the only way to diagnose eye and vision diseases and disorders in children. Undiagnosed vision problems can impair learning and can cause vision loss and other issues that significantly impact a child’s quality of life.”

I am pleased to share about our newest program on “Can Do” Street, “Read Along with Grandma Jean.” The program is about helping young children, and children who have English as a second language develop their reading skills, and come to enjoy reading.

Stories are narrated, and, as Grandma Jean tells the story, each word is highlighted as she says it. Each story can also be read without using the narration and highlighting features. Stories are started by choosing the play icon and stopped by choosing the stop icon. If you stop the story before the end of the story, the story will begin where you stopped it. Just choose the play icon once again.

Read Along with Grandma Jean comes from my experiences as a volunteer reading coach for children in kindergarten through 2nd grade, and as a certified TESOL instructor, working with children having English as a second language.

Read Along with Grandma Jean is about helping children with vocabulary building, word recognition, pronunciation, comprehension, and developing the ability and confidence to read and enjoy the process of reading.

The Program begins with six stories that feature the “Can Do” characters . More stories will be added over the coming months. Each of the six stories has a story line designed to catch and hold the interest of a young child.

The first Read Along with Grandma Jean stories are:

Hector+ Ants =Trouble – Hector decides to take ants to an indoor picnic

Why Do Grandmas Have Wrinkles – The “Can Dos” ask Grandma Hattie about wrinkles

Maria is a Flat Leaver – Maria makes plans with Nellie and then goes off with Wendy instead.

Kathy Fell Asleep in Class Again – Why did Kathy fall asleep in class this time?

The Way it Was – The “Can Dos” are amazed at what life was like when Grandpa Dooley was growing up.

Telling the Truth – Miss Pat tells a story about what can happen if you get to be known as a kid who doesn’t tell the truth.

Read Along with Grandma Jean can be accessed on a computer or downloaded to a hand-held device. You can get to the Read Along with Grandma Jean Program from the “Can Do” Street home page, http://www.candostreet.com then choose the green awning that says, “Read Along with Grandma Jean Audio Children’s Stories.”

Best regards,

Jean Campbell, Creator, “Can Do” Street