News/Op Ed: More Green Time Less Screen Time This Summer

More Green Time Less Screen Time This Summer

By Jagrut Lallu, Optometrist and founding member of the Australia and New Zealand Child Myopia Working Group.

Giving children less time on devices and more outdoor time this summer, plus more frequent breaks from screens, is an area that we now have the opportunity to improve.

An increasingly digital world

Screen time has unavoidably become a big part of everyday learning and interaction. It has had huge benefits in helping us to communicate and stay in touch.  However parents are often not aware of the association with low levels of outdoor activity[1] and associated factors including low levels of light exposure[2]  and prolonged near tasks such as reading and screen time[3] which may influence the development of myopia.

What is myopia?

Myopia, also commonly referred to as ‘short-sightedness’ is a common eye condition that causes blurred distance vision which usually starts during childhood and typically progresses until a child stops growing. 

Myopia is rapidly becoming a serious public health concern in Australia, yet research[1] shows that 65% of Australian parents (with children up to 17 years old) do not know what myopia is, and only 12% of parents recognise the eye health conditions that their children might develop later in life from child myopia. The eyes grow from birth through to adulthood. If parents can start to instill good visual habits, like they do dental habits, it may help in the long term to reduce the growing rate of myopia globally.

The importance of outdoor play

Lifestyle factors including low levels of outdoor activity[4]  may influence the development of myopia. 

More research is needed to determine if it is to do with the intensity or brightness of the light or the distances that children focus on, but what is proven is that there is a link between outdoor time and its benefit to a child’s myopia development.

Given that outdoor play is free, “more green time less screen time” is a timely reminder for moderation in an increasingly digital world.

What can parents do to help reduce the likelihood of their child developing myopia?

There are two main factors which can mean your child is more at risk of developing myopia: lifestyle and family history. 

The likelihood of developing myopia, particularly high myopia increases when one or both parents are myopic[5].  However, the exact link between a family history of myopia and development of childhood myopia remains uncertain[6].

You can’t influence genetics but parents can feel empowered when it comes to lifestyle factors. 

Top Three Myopia Busting Tips:

1. More green time less screen time!
2. Build in regular breaks from devices – every twenty minutes remind your child to have a break for at least twenty seconds and look out a window to something at least 6 metres away[7]
3. Talk to your local optometrist about all of the options to stop your child from having to change glasses prescriptions as frequently.

By 2050, it is estimated that more than 50% of the world’s populaton will have myopia and 10% or almost 1 billion will have high myopia[8].  If we all encourage daily play time outdoors we have an opportunity to halve that.  However action can be taken to manage myopia. Starting a conversation with your local optometrist is a positive first step. 

www.childmyopia.com

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About:

The Australia and New Zealand Child Myopia Working Group is a collaboration of leading optometrists and ophthalmologists. The Working Group’s aim is to set a recommended standard of care for child myopia management, in order to slow progression of myopia in children.  

Issued by QUAY Communications on behalf of The Australia and New Zealand Child Myopia Working Group.

For more information contact: 

• Emma Norgrove, QUAY Communications, M: 0499 688 001
• Cheryl Pettinau, QUAY Communications, M: 0424 157 714 

[1] He M, Xiang F, Zeng Y et al. Effect of Time Spent Outdoors at School on the Development of Myopia Among Children in China: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2015; 314:1142-1148

[2] Read SA, Collins MJ, Vincent SJ. Light Exposure and Eye Growth in Childhood. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2015: 56(11):6779-6787

[3] Ip JM, Saw SM, Rose KA, Morgan IG, Kifley A, Wang JJ, Mitchell P. Role of Near Work in Myopia: Findings in a Sample of Australian School Children. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2008:49(7):2903-2910

[4] He M, Xiang F, Zeng Y et al. Effect of Time Spent Outdoors at School on the Development of Myopia Among Children in China: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2015; 314:1142-1148

[5] Lim LT, Gong Y, Ah-Kee EY, Xiao G, Zhang X. Impact of parental history of myopia on the development of myopia in mainland China school-aged children. Ophthalmology and  Eye Disease. 2014;6:31-5

[6] Ip J, Huynh S, Robaei D, Rose K, Morgan I, Smith W, Kifley A, Mitchell P. Ethnic differences in the impact of parental myopia: Findings from a population-based study of 12-year old Australian children. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2007:48:2520-2528

[7] https://www.mykidsvision.org/en-us

[8] ibid.