Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many children need to take online courses at home. However, reading a computer screen close-up over long periods of time can easily lead to myopia in children.

Here are some suggestions to prevent the occurrence and development of myopia in kids.

1. Preparations before online courses.

(1). Choose electronic products with a larger screen for online learning. Avoid close-up work that can strain the eyes and choose electronic products with higher screen resolution to reduce discomfort and fatigue of the eyes.

When taking online lessons via the TV, keep more than three meters from the television and keep the TV screen parallel to or slightly lower than the line of sight.

While taking online class on your computer, the distance between the computer screen and eyes should not be less than 50cm and it should be slightly lower than the line of sight, that is, the center of computer screen is about 10cm below the line of sight of your eyes.

(2). Choose a room with sufficient light for online learning. The screen brightness of electronic products should be suitable for the brightness of the environment, not too bright or too dark.

(3). Do not use electronics while walking, eating, bedridden or in a moving car.

2. Things you need to pay attention to in the process of online courses.

(1). Maintain proper sitting and writing posture.

(2). The shorter the continuous use of electronic products, the better.

After 20 minutes of watching the electronic screen, look up at the distance out of windows for at least 20 seconds. It is suggested that in addition to the necessary online course time every day, the extra use time of electronic products should be minimized.

(3). After watching screens for a long duration, do gentle eye exercises. Let your eyes rest and remember to wash your hands before doing eye exercises.

3. Health care for eyes after online courses.

(1). Ensure adequate sleep and nutrition.

Recommended length of sleep: 10 hours for primary school students; 9 hours for junior high school students and 8 hours for senior high school students.

Ensure your child's diet has sufficient nutrition, urge them not to be picky, eat less sweets, eat more vegetables and fruits and drink no less than 1500 ml of water every day.

(2). Without disturbing your neighbors, do some indoor sports activities or housework, to help our child relieve eye fatigue.

(3). Pay attention to the cleanliness of your hands, wash them frequently and do not rub your eyes with your hands.

4. Long-term online learning may cause children's eyes to appear dry, hot, experience foreign body sensations, or cause temporary blurred vision and other phenomena. 

The following tips could help your kids alleviate these symptoms:

(1). When using a mobile phone or computer, consciously remind yourself to blink more for 12 to 16 times a minute and keep your eyes closed completely before opening them, so that tears can wet your eyes well.

(2). A hot towel can be placed on closed eyes to relieve dry eyes and eye fatigue.

(3). Eye rotation can help relax the eye muscles, promote blood circulation and relieve eye fatigue.

To prevent myopia, in addition to urging children to develop good habits when using their eyes, parents should master the real-time development of children's diopter and vision in time, so as to truly and effectively prevent myopia.

At the same time, parents should set an example for their children and reduce the use of electronic products.