Practical digital tools to effectively manage nearsightedness leveraging audiobooks, mobile phone apps, or smart home assistants. Monitor screen time and distance using Apple device’s vision health features.
Have you recently walked out of your eye doctor's office with a myriad of suggestions on how to manage your child's nearsightedness? Feeling overwhelmed about how to work with your child to improve their eye habits? If you are, you're not alone.
Consider this: In 2020, a staggering 2.6 billion individuals worldwide were grappling with nearsightedness -- 36% of the global population. Projections suggest that by 2050, this number could skyrocket to 5 billion, encompassing nearly 50% of the global population.1
Recent medical advancements have led to a number of treatment options, including atropine eye drops, specialized soft or overnight contact lenses, and myopia-control glasses. All showing promising effectiveness in slowing or stopping nearsightedness from worsening.2
Research has also indicated that lifestyle modifications, fostering good eye habits, could be equally important in the management of the condition.2
In this article, we’ll delve into practice tactics to mitigate the core risk factors for nearsightedness and introduce some digital tools that have been beneficial for my son in managing his nearsightedness.
Understanding what may lead to the worsening of nearsightedness
Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, has long been understood to have a genetic component, often passed down through families. However, studies have also shown that its development can also be influenced by lifestyle-related risk factors.2
Research suggests that spending more time outdoors may reduce the risk of myopia onset or its progression. Despite ongoing investigations into the precise mechanisms at play, it appears that the simple act of exposure to daylight holds a protective effect against myopia, regardless of the specific outdoor activities involved.3
Conversely, engaging in extensive close-up work, such as reading or studying, has been linked to a higher risk of myopia. This association is particularly evident in individuals with higher levels of education, who often spend prolonged periods studying.2,3
Understanding these research findings can provide valuable insights for parents of children with myopia. By encouraging outdoor activities and limiting extensive close-up work, parents are empowered to take control and mitigate myopia progression.2,3
Tactics and digital tools to optimize outdoor time for nearsightedness
In the Refractive Errors Preferred Practice Pattern 2022 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, experts underscore the importance of increased outdoor exposure, highlighting its role in decreasing the risk of myopic progression.2
To get more outdoor time, my son and I have aimed for a target of 14 hours per week, or 2 hours per day, with a minimum of 11 hours during the winter. Exposure to daylight of brightness levels above 1,000 lux and preferably exceeding 3,000 lux has been prioritized to optimize the protective effects of outdoor time.4
Outdoor activity tracking
To monitor my son’s outdoor time, we have tried various tools. Initially using paper-based trackers, then we transitioned to digital solutions – the MyoAssist app; this app is an improvement and simplifies the daily task.
The app facilitates the tracking of daily outdoor activity time and provides immediate analysis of our progress vs goals. Available on both Android and iOS platforms, MyoAssist can be accessed by multiple devices, allowing me to access my child’s outdoor time status on my devices.
Getting more outdoor time
In situations where outdoor sports aren't feasible, my son enjoys listening to audiobooks in front of our house. During winter, we occasionally retreat to our car with the sunroof cover open to soak up more daylight while enjoying audiobooks - myself included. For families with a sunroom, audiobook listening offers a way to minimize close-up work while basking in the benefits of sunlight.
Platforms like Epic and Libby offer extensive collections of audiobooks, catering to diverse interests and providing engaging alternatives to screen-based entertainment. Additionally, streaming services like Spotify offer a wide array of audiobooks suitable for children, complementing their primary focus on music streaming.
Measuring outdoor brightness
We utilize Lux meters and Lux meter apps to measure ambient light levels, ensuring adequate brightness levels are maintained. Particularly during winter, certain areas may lack sufficient illumination. Employing Lux meter apps aids us in identifying locations where there is adequate daylight.
While a lux meter offers precise measurements, we've discovered that our lux meter app, Lux Light Meter, on Android devices provides comparable results. However, I haven't yet come across an iOS lux meter app with similar accuracy.
If you have, please share it with us on our Facebook page.
Digital tools to help manage eye breaks for nearsightedness
Regular eye breaks are important for children engaged in close-up work like reading, studying, or playing with toys such as Lego. Studies have indicated that prolonged close-up work can exacerbate the worsening of nearsightedness.
While the traditional 20/20/20 rule, suggesting a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at an object 20 feet away, has been a common recommendation by medical professionals for relieving digital eye strain, for nearsightedness it may not be sufficient.
Recent research indicated that 20/20/20 might not be enough for children already affected by nearsightedness. New findings proposed taking a 5-minute break every 30 to 60 minutes might be needed to reduce the risks associated with prolonged near work for myopic eyes.5
For parents seeking digital tools and tactics to implement these breaks effectively, various options are available. Leveraging technology such as Google Assistant, Siri, or Amazon's Alexa can simplify the process of setting timers for breaks.
For us, we've integrated Google Assistant and Siri into our daily routines, verbally commending these devices to set timers. It is as simple as “Hey Google, set a timer for 30 mins.” Or “Hey Siri, countdown 5 min.”
Whether my son is immersed in a book, completing homework, or indulging in fun screen time, setting a timer ensures he knows when to take his eye breaks. With Google Home (or Amazon Alexa) devices stationed throughout the house, setting timers is as easy as 1-2-3.
One app that is also useful in establishing the break routine is the Pomodoro app. Based on the Pomodoro Technique, this app divides work into 25-minute intervals, followed by 5-minute breaks.
Digital tools to help manage viewing distance for nearsightedness
Engaging in excessive close-up tasks, such as continuous reading and studying, or using handheld devices, also may accelerate the worsening of nearsightedness.2,3 Implementing appropriate screen time, in addition to eye breaks, is particularly important to help adhere to healthy eye habits.
When we started implementing the screen time limit, my son would try to sneak in extra screen time outside of the agreed time limits. However, with the help of screen time tracking features on his iPad, he realized that he would have to have constructive discussions whenever he went over, and quickly learned to adhere to the set limits.
Maintaining an appropriate reading distance is also crucial in preventing the condition from progressing. Research has shown that a reading distance of more than an elbow length, approximately 12 inches or 30 cm, is beneficial.3
Moreover, in an interesting research study conducted in 2022 aimed to investigate the association between lifestyle risk factors and myopia, the results showed that increased reading and writing activities, as well as reduced outdoor time, were associated with myopia as expected. However, TV screen time was not found to be associated with nearsightedness.6
Based on the learning, we have improvised and been utilizing our TV to project devices that have small screen sizes, including Chromebooks or iPads. Additionally, in situations where TV projection is not feasible, iPad and iPhone have Apple's Screen Distance feature that alerts the users to keep a healthy viewing distance when they are too close.
Key Takeaways
In the journey to manage nearsightedness, my son and I have discovered invaluable digital tools and tactics for better eye habits. When outdoor sports are impractical, listening to audiobooks on Epic, Libby, or Spotify provides a refreshing reprieve alternative. We've employed a Lux meter and Lux meter apps to ensure optimal indoor brightness. Incorporating regular eye break reminders—approximately every 30 to 60 minutes—using voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri has become a routine for us. Monitoring screen time on devices and promoting an appropriate viewing distance by leveraging Apple's Screen Distance reminder or Screen Time tracking, or TV.
What are your go-to digital tools to manage nearsightedness? How is it working for you? We'd love to hear from you on our Facebook page.
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