The link between screen time and eye health

Prolonged screen time increases eye strain for many children, exacerbating potential vision issues. Research has identified an increase in the number of children with myopia progression, also known as nearsightedness, during the pandemic—and suggested a strong correlation to more screen time and less outdoor time.

It's not unusual for symptoms to go unnoticed or be dismissed as an unrelated issue. Potential red flags include eye rubbing, light sensitivity, chronic redness, difficulty reading or behavioral problems like avoiding reading, inattentiveness and acting out.

Overlooking these issues can negatively impact children's educational experience. Vision problems can affect how children learn and their attitude toward school when left untreated. Poor vision can also impact reading and impair hand-eye coordination needed for writing, drawing and sports. With nearly 80% of learning occurring through vision, according to a UCLA study, identifying and fixing problems early is crucial.

Early detection and treatment

While mandated vision screenings are common for school-age children in most states, many were delayed due to the pandemic. Pushing off eye health can be a risky gamble, especially after such a digital-intensive year.

Eye exams are imperative to detecting problems, especially for children who are having any vision complaints or who are asymptomatic but failed a vision screening. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can glean meaningful information from smaller children through simple tests and observations while in the exam room, like how their eyes follow a lighted toy. Telemedicine can now be used as well, with vision care providers leveraging web-based apps and remote platforms.

When myopia or eye strain are detected, they can be addressed. A myopia diagnosis is commonly treated with eyeglasses, and in some case with the addition of low-dose atropine and/or specialty contact lenses. In addition, one hour per day of outdoor physical activity can help in slowing myopia progression in children. Digital eye strain is alleviated with simple changes including limiting screen time, taking frequent screen breaks and following the 20-20-20 rule, where children look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.

Making vision a routine part of health maintenance

Regardless of whether children exhibit obvious vision issues, the best way to mitigate more serious problems is to catch issues early. This includes vision screenings and eye exams. For eye care providers, eye exams serve as a window into the body, and they are important for children with systemic issues, such as diabetes, juvenile arthritis, or even underlying neurologic problems. For this reason, and to help prevent costly long-term complications from undiagnosed vision issues, vision screenings or eye exams should be considered an essential part of any regular health checklist. August is also Children's Eye Health and Safety Month, National Vision and Learning Month and National Eye Exam Month, so there is no better time for parents to schedule any needed eye exams ahead of the school year.

Vision benefits that provide coverage for vision exams are an important, yet often overlooked, element of the general wellness of health plan members. By including vision benefits in holistic family coverage, health plans can help mitigate costly long-term complications. With the start of a new school year underway across the country, now is an excellent time to remind vision plan members to take advantage of their benefits and schedule a comprehensive eye exam for everyone in their family.

Megan Collins, MD, MPH is a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins, faculty member at The Berman Center for Bioethics, co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Consortium for School Based Health Solutions and member of Versant Health's Medical Policy Council. Mark Ruchman, MD, is chief medical officer for Versant Health.

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