Up Close with Kids
COVID has changed everything. One plus, if there is any such thing, is increased awareness surrounding blue light and devices, especially when it comes to kids.
As Shamir Peer-to-Peer Champion Simaan Shini, OD, put it, “We have to let kids use devices, but we need to be aware of how close they are holding these devices as well as display and brightness settings,” he adds. “For children who wear glasses, we always advise either a blue wavelength-free material or a blue-blocking, anti-reflective coating. We explain that either option will help reduce the extra accommodative demands that devices are creating because of their ‘glow,’ which causes the eye to focus at a shorter distance than where children are actually holding the device.”
Tip: Have you considered any directed-to-kids messaging in your social media? Now is a good time to test those waters.
SCREEN TIME
Add to that excessive screen time, and the issue is even more complicated. The American Optometric Association points out some of the possible ramifications of excessive screen time on very young kids:
- Diminished likelihood children will have the fine motor skills for writing when entering kindergarten.
- Reduction in vocabulary, communication skills, eye contact, attention, decision-making, problem solving, and cognitive control.
- Developmental delays with increased device use, along with a premature thinning of the cortex.
Then there’s learning and the fundamental fact that 80% of learning is visual, and it’s clear that a quality solution is key. That can, however, take some explaining, when kids and parents see what are billed as “blue-light glasses” for $15 online.
KIDS AS CUSTOMERS
One change in the conversation? Don’t think it’s just mom who is checking out your kid-friendly eyewear and eyecare options online. Kids are looking at and for products online for themselves like never before. Have you considered any directed-to-kids messaging in your social media? Now is a good time to test those waters.
Another way to deliver the blue-light message? A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. That means videos are worth even more. They can definitely be a big help in educating patients about blue light and informing them about the help Shamir and Shamir Blue Zero™ can provide. To hone in on benefits of Shamir Blue Zero™, link to and play this video in your waiting room and on social media: https://www.shamirlens.com/products/materials-products?tab=120. It’s a great way to deliver important information in a super consumer-friendly fashion.
However you do it, look for new ways to invite kids through your door. And, tell us what you’re already doing by joining in the conversation on Facebook here.
Erinn Morgan
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