META: Worried about your child’s screen time? In Asia, up to 90% of teens are now nearsighted. Learn a simple tip to protect their vision.
As a parent, it’s natural to worry about how modern life affects your child’s health. One of the most common questions we hear at our Jaipur clinic is about screen time and its impact on children’s eyes. You’re not alone in your concern.
The 20-20-20 Rule: Your Best Defence
The biggest issue with screens isn’t the light they emit, but the fact that we forget to blink and focus at a single distance for long periods. This leads to digital eye strain, or what doctors call Computer Vision Syndrome. A recent study found that 72% of children aged 9 to 14 showed symptoms of dry eye due to screen use. To fight this, we recommend the simple but effective 20-20-20 rule.
It’s easy to teach your child: for every 20 minutes they spend looking at a screen, they should take a 20-second break to look at something at least 20 feet away. This simple action relaxes the focusing muscles inside the eye, reduces strain, and helps encourage blinking, which re-lubricates the eye surface. Set a timer to help them remember at first!
