A tablet in the car, cartoons, video games, homework online: children spend more and more time in front of screens, and many parents wonder whether they should buy them blue light glasses. We sell this kind of glasses, but we'd rather give you a frank answer: for a child, they're not what matters most.
What we know today
- Blue light from screens doesn't damage the eyes at usual levels, in children as in adults. The sun sends out far more.
- The real issue in children is short-sightedness (myopia). It's rising sharply around the world. Studies point to two factors: a lot of time spent looking at things up close (screens, but also books) and little time spent outdoors, in daylight.
- Sleep is the other sensitive point: a screen in the evening delays falling asleep, and children are particularly sensitive to it.
The habits that really protect them
Time outdoors, every day
It's the measure ophthalmologists cite most against myopia: around two hours a day in natural light. Even on a grey day, outdoor light is far stronger than indoors.
Distance
A tablet held 20 cm from the face is far more tiring than a TV screen two metres away. Teach your child the elbow rule: the screen no closer than the distance between their fist and their elbow.
Breaks
Every 20 to 30 minutes, look into the distance, out of the window, for a few seconds. A timer makes it a game.
No screens before bed
Switching off screens an hour before bedtime remains the most effective advice for sleep, well ahead of any filter.
An eye test
A child who squints, sits closer to the TV or complains of headaches should see an ophthalmologist. An uncorrected vision problem is far more tiring than any screen.
So, blue light glasses for a child?
They aren't necessary, and they don't protect against myopia. They can be useful for comfort in two cases:
- a teenager who spends long evenings on a console or computer: an amber tint in the evening, like SAFRAN, can go with a bedtime routine;
- a young person following online classes under difficult lighting: a clear anti-reflective lens like JADE reduces reflections.
Watch the size. An adult frame slips down a young child's nose. Compare the measurements in our size guide with a pair that already fits them; for a child under 12, ask an optician for advice instead. And if your child wears prescription glasses, the coating goes directly on their corrective lenses.
In short
Outdoors every day, screens at the right distance, regular breaks, no screens before bed, eye tests: that's what protects a child's eyes. Glasses can come on top, especially for teenagers, never instead.
To find out more, read what the science says about screens and sleep.
Read next: Students: getting through long days of screen time