up front | health
I Spy a Problem Excessive screen time is viewed as culprit in increased eye troubles
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or years, parents have been advised to put strict limits on their kids’ screen time to protect their eyes and general health. But when the COVID-19 pandemic began, laptops and tablets became necessary conduits for schooling, activities and keeping in touch with friends and family. Now, pediatric ophthalmologists say they’re seeing the effects of all that screen time.
40 BACK TO SCHOOL | 2021
“Kids usually are pretty selfsufficient, and their eyes are pretty tough. But we’ve seen lots of problems this last year, which we’re attributing to the prolonged intense, close work that has been their lives,” says Dr. David Epley, a pediatric ophthalmologist in Kirkland, Wash., and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Close or
near work involves focusing your eyes on a nearby object. “Normally, in school, you’re looking at the board, and then you’re looking up close, and then you’re outside at recess and you’re kind of varying where your gaze is. But with online schooling, the classroom is up close and the homework’s up close. Their friend circles are on a screen up close; their playtime is on a screen >
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BY AMY SINATRA AYRES
