Screen time has increasingly become a part of the everyday life and activities of children—in school, at home, communicating with friends and even at restaurants and on shopping trips with Mom or Dad. With this increase, we want parents to understand the negative effects screen time can have on their child’s vision and its association with nearsightedness (also known as myopia), so they can be on the lookout for any symptoms of blurry distance vision.
While there are many causes of nearsightedness, screen time can play a role in its development. We want to take a deeper look so you can understand the solutions for your child and where to start if you already suspect there’s an issue with your child’s vision.
The pandemic’s impact on children’s myopia
While we were homebound during the COVID-19 pandemic, we often relied on technology for our everyday activities and work, and to entertain us during the long days indoors. A study from JAMA Ophthalmology showed that home confinement during the pandemic appeared to be associated with a substantial increase in myopia development in children 6-8 years old. In fact, the prevalence of nearsightedness in 2020 increased sharply, ranging from 1.4 to 3 times higher than it had been in the previous five years.1 The study also noted that younger children may be more sensitive to environmental changes, given that they’re in a critical period for eye growth and myopia development.1
“Parents of young children are definitely ready to have conversations about screen time,” said Justin Kwan, OD, FAAO, CooperVision Senior Manager of Myopia Management. “We know that the younger children are, the faster their myopia worsens and ultimately, the greater the risk.”2
Screen time and nearsightedness
Can screen time affect my child’s myopia?
In short: yes. Screen time can affect your child’s myopia, especially since kids who are on screens are typically indoors, and reduced time outdoors can have an impact on the development of myopia in children.3,4,5
“Exposure to natural daylight is critical to developing eyes,” Ayesha Malik, OD, pediatric optometrist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), said. “Kids need time playing outside for their health, but also for their eyes.”
Studies have found that children who spend more time indoors are more likely to develop myopia. The exact process is still being studied, but researchers believe UV and blue light (as long as the eyes are protected from intense sunlight) plays an important role in healthy eye development. With children spending less time outdoors than they have in the past, the rate of nearsightedness in children has increased dramatically in the past 30 years.6
In a 2022 article in The Atlantic titled “The Myopia Generation: Why do so many kids need glasses now?,” author Sarah Zhang notes that we may not know exactly how “ogling screens all day and spending so much time indoors are affecting us, or which is doing more damage, but we do know that myopia is a clear consequence of living at odds with our biology. The optometrists I spoke with all said they try to push better vision habits, such as limiting screen time and playing outside.”7
Screens are impacting more than just your child’s eyes
If you’re asking “Are tablets bad for my children’s eyes?”—we know screen time is linked to higher rates of nearsightedness. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than 2 years old and recommends limiting older children’s screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.4 In addition to vision problems, too much screen time can also be linked to other health conditions or problems, such as obesity, irregular sleep, behavioral problems, impaired academic performance, and less time for play. There are many benefits to limited screen time—both for your child’s eyes and for general health.8
Your child’s total screen time might be greater than you realize. It’s therefore important to start monitoring it now.7 There are even apps to objectively quantify daily screen time and prompts to take breaks or stop entirely. Replacing screen time with fun activities is a win-win for the child.
Signs that screens are accelerating your child’s nearsightedness
There are signs and symptoms that show screen time may be accelerating your child’s nearsightedness progression and could have an impact on eye and vision development.
The very first thing you can do for your child’s eyesight is to know what signs to look for. Is there a struggle to see the board at school? Do you notice your child squinting when looking at objects in the distance or watching TV? Is your child mentioning sudden blurred vision or headaches?
If so, myopia could be the cause.
What you can do about your child’s myopia
Though screen time and tablets are part of children’s everyday lives, there are things parents can do to prevent and stay ahead of a potential myopia diagnosis. Parents are encouraged to schedule annual comprehensive eye exams and observe children and monitor for any behaviors related to screen time, such as excessive time indoors, or squinting while watching TV.
In addition, Dr. Kwan recommends taking children on errands to get them moving and off screens to help reduce the risk of developing myopia. Even in that short time, they’ll be outside a little more than they would be otherwise.
Proven solutions for parents
It might be hard to change screen-time habits. But minimizing—or eliminating—screens from your child’s daily routine can bring many benefits when it comes to your child’s vision and eye health.
If the eye doctor determines your child is struggling with myopia, one option is MiSight® 1 day. These daily wear, single-use contact lenses are the first and only FDA-approved* soft contact lenses to slow the progression of myopia when prescribed for children 8-12 years old at the initiation of treatment.†‡9
Talk to your eye doctor to determine if your child is a candidate for contact lenses. You can find a MiSight® eye doctor near you and get your free trial of MiSight® contact lenses.
Sign up for new information about MiSight® 1 day.
* INDICATIONS AND BRIEF SAFETY INFORMATION for MiSight® 1 day soft contact lens:
INDICATIONS:
MiSight® 1 Day (omafilcon A) Soft (Hydrophilic) Contact Lenses for Daily Wear is a prescription device indicated for the correction of nearsightedness and for slowing the progression of nearsightedness in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism
BRIEF SAFETY INFORMATION:
Rx only; results may vary.
ATTENTION: Reference MiSight.com/safety for a complete listing of Indications and Important Safety Information.
INDICATIONS: MiSight® 1 day (omafilcon A) soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses for daily wear are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.
WARNINGS: Problems with contact lenses could result in serious injury to the eye. Do not expose contact lenses to water while wearing them. Under certain circumstances MiSight® lenses optical design can cause reduced image contrast/ghosting/halo/glare in some patients that may cause difficulty with certain visually-demanding tasks.
PRECAUTIONS: Daily wear single use only. Patient should always dispose when lenses are removed. No overnight wear. Patients should exercise extra care if performing potentially hazardous activities.
ADVERSE EVENTS: Including but not limited to infection/inflammation/ulceration/abrasion of the cornea, other parts of the eye or eyelids. Some of these adverse reactions can cause permanent or temporary loss of vision. If you notice any of the stated in your child, immediately have your child remove the lenses and contact your eye care professional.
‡‡ National rebate: *Available on purchases between 1/1/26-12/31/26. Must submit rebate form within 60 days of lens purchase.
†Compared to a single vision 1-day lens over a 3-year period.
‡Only FDA approved soft contact lens designed for myopia control in the U.S.
References:
1 Wang, J, Li, Y, Much, DC, Wei, N, Qi, X, Ding, G, Li, X, Li, J, Song, L, Zhang, Y, Ning, Y, Zeng, X, Hua, N, Li, S, and Qian, X. Progression of myopia in school-aged children after COVID-19 home confinement. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021 Jan 14:e206239. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.6239. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33443542; PMCID: PMC7809617.
2 Mutti, DO, Hayes, JR, Mitchell, GL, et al. Refractive error, axial length, and relative peripheral refractive error before and after the onset of myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48(6):2510-2519. doi:10.1167/iovs.06-0562
3 Xiong S, Sankaridurg P, Naduvilath T, Zang J, Zou H, Zhu J, Lv M, He X, Xu X. Time spent in outdoor activities in relation to myopia prevention and control: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Acta Ophthalmol. 2017 Sep;95(6):551-566. doi: 10.1111/aos.13403. Epub 2017 Mar 2. PMID: 28251836; PMCID: PMC5599950.
4 Huang HM, Chang DS, Wu PC. The Association between Near Work Activities and Myopia in Children-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 20;10(10):e0140419. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140419. PMID: 26485393; PMCID: PMC4618477.
5 Lanca C, Saw SM. The association between digital screen time and myopia: A systematic review. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2020
6 Malik, A. How too much screen time affects kids’ eyes: Tips to prevent eye strain. https://www.chop.edu/news/health-tip/how-too-much-screen-time-affects-kids-eyes. Accessed 21 August 2023.
7 Zhang, S. The myopia generation: Why do so many kids need glasses now? https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/10/kids-glasses-vision-increased-nearsightedness-myopia/671244/. Accessed 21 August 2023.
8 Christensen, J. Children and screen time: How much is too much? https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/children-and-screen-time. Accessed 21 August 2023.
9 Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight Lenses for Myopia Control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019;96(8):556–567.