Ditch the Parent Guilt! 5 Expert Tips for Dealing with Increased Digital Device Time in Kids

80% of learning happens through our eyes, and with this school year looking quite a bit different than most, here is some expert advice to help handle all that additional screen time!

 1. Make sure your child has had their annual eye exam! Yes, even if the pediatrician did a screening. Yes, even if they aren’t complaining. Children can pass screening exams with flying colors and still have vision issues that can affect learning and development.

 Many children will never complain about blurred or strained vision because they don’t

know what to compare it to, so it’s best to let an expert check them out.

2. Make sure they ARE wearing their glasses if they are recommended! Even mild

prescriptions can have a major impact on learning and development. If glasses are recommended for your child, ask questions about when they should be worn and do your best to have your child actually wear them! Having glasses they choose and like can make a huge difference.

3. Taking breaks from digital devices is essential. Follow the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break, looking 20 feet away (at something not digital). Once or twice an hour make sure we’re getting up to let the wiggles out. When they aren’t doing school work try to minimize the screen time.

4. Make sure they are the proper distance from their screens! We have all seen kiddos who seem to want to leap into their screens head-first—remind them to pull it back to arm’s distance.

5. Outside time! Spending time outside is critical and has been shown to have a major impact on overall vision and wellbeing. Try to aim for 30 minutes a day, weather- permitting. Don’t forget your sunnies & SPF.

Bonus: what about that blue light stuff? Is that legit?

Think of the rainbow: ROYGBIV, right? Harmful Blue Light is located uncomfortably close to Ultraviolet light on the electromagnetic spectrum...aka UV light that we know can cause cancers of the skin and eyes. While we don’t know 100% whether Harmful Blue Light is damaging the internal structures of our eyes, we DO know that it’s messing with our sleep-wake cycle and can trigger an uptick in stress. Ain't noboody got time for that. Because of its scattering effects in the eye, it can also cause visual fatigue, headaches or migraines in some individuals.

Harmful Blue Light comes in different proportions from our digital devices than it does from nature, and children have even less protection from harmful rays than adults do, because their eyes aren’t fully developed yet. Not all blue light protection is made the same though—you want the kind that blocks wavelengths 415-455nm. Thanks, science!