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The Canadian Association of Optometrists recently launched a major campaign to draw attention to the childhood myopia epidemic.
Besides highlighting the importance of regular eye exams, the campaign draws attention to the connection between myopia and screen time.
As a teacher, you have a unique opportunity to create an eye-friendly classroom, helping your students thrive academically.
How Serious Is Myopia?
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a refractive error caused by the eye elongating during growth, causing distant objects to look blurry.
While progression can be slowed or even stopped, it can’t be reversed, making early detection crucial.
Childhood myopia is a benign condition that often requires glasses or contacts, but untreated myopia can seriously impact a child’s ability to learn. Moreover, untreated myopia can progress until it turns into high myopia. This more serious condition increases the risks of vision loss later in life.
Myopia, Screen Time, and Other Factors
There is a strong connection between spending long hours focusing on close-up activities and myopia. Children aged 8 to 12 spend an average of 4 to 6 hours a day in front of screens, and researchers believe this is directly linked to the tripling of childhood myopia cases between 1990 and 2023.
Spending time indoors is another contributing factor. Exposure to natural light causes the eye to release dopamine, which can prevent it from adopting the oblong shape associated with myopia.
It’s also worth noting that myopia has hereditary factors that can predispose children to develop it, especially if their lifestyle involves a lot of indoor close-up activities.
Tips For Creating an Eye-Friendly Classroom
Do you have any nearsighted students in your classroom? Create an environment that is gentler on their eyes with these tips:
- While computers are a valuable learning tool, using printed materials helps reduce screen time.
- Discuss screen time with students and encourage them to keep track of how much time they spend in front of screens.
- Ensure screen brightness matches the environment when students use computers.
- Prioritize natural light in your classroom and replace lightbulbs with warm lights.
- If possible, look for ways to schedule more outdoor activities.
- Teach students about the importance of taking regular eye breaks when reading or using screens, and do some fun eye exercises together.
- Keep an eye on students with refractive errors and make sure they are wearing their glasses or contacts.
- Be mindful of students who complain of headaches or seem to squint. Reach out to their families to recommend an eye exam.
- Talking with the school board about offering eye screenings at school can also be a great way to detect myopia symptoms early.
Support Student Eye Health With Vision Care Direct
Creating a comfortable environment for myopic students will go a long way in supporting their academic success. For other students, an eye-friendly classroom can contribute to preventing refractive errors or slowing down their progression.
However, a vision-friendly environment can’t replace regular eye exams. Regular exams are key to early detection and ongoing eye health management, and students should preferably do this at the start of every school year.
For families, a vision plan can make these exams more accessible. Take a few minutes to learn more about Vision Care Direct and our flexible pre-paid vision plans to help families save on pediatric vision care. Recommending these plans to families is a step toward better vision health in your classroom!
Summary: Childhood myopia is on the rise, and researchers believe screen time and indoor activities are contributing to this phenomenon. As a teacher, there are steps you can take to create a vision-friendly classroom that helps prevent or manage myopia symptoms.
