Back to School Means More Screen Time for Students

Parents and educators can help kids reduce digital eyestrain and promote healthy sleep with ZAGG and Eyesafe blue light blocking products.

MINNEAPOLIS and SHANNON, Ireland and PARIS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students have returned to school, marking the beginning of a year filled with possibility, learning and connection. For many, it's a return to normalcy that was not possible last year due to COVID-19.

2020 marked a year of transition, with shifts from distance learning to hybrid learning, then back again. Millions of digital devices were purchased and screen time doubled for kids of all age groups.¹

In a recent survey, 93% of parents and 96% of educators said they are concerned about the impact of digital device screen time on children's eyes.² Besides playing outside, the most popular activities for children are playing on a digital device (23%) and watching TV (20%).³

Students are dialed into digital devices.  The problem is that digital devices, from smartphones to laptops and televisions, emit high-energy blue light, which has the potential to damage eyes over time.⁴ Children are extremely vulnerable, as their eyes don't filter blue light as effectively as an adult⁵, allowing as much as 45% more toxic blue light to reach the back of the eye.

Excess screen time and blue light can contribute to digital eye strain, tired eyes, blurry vision and sleep disruption. The latter is of particular concern, since chronic sleep deprivation may impact attention span, recall, and social-emotional learning.⁶

Teachers, parents and students can reduce the blue light on their phones and tablets with ZAGG^® InvisibleShield VisionGuard. VisionGuard is a line of screen protectors with Eyesafe technology that not only protects your phone from scratches and impacts, but also filters out potentially harmful blue light. For larger screens, like Chromebooks and monitors, Eyesafe^® Blue Light Screen Filters provide an advanced blue light shield developed with optometrists and ophthalmologists to help reduce potential risks of blue light exposure.

Screen time is a reality - it's how we work, play, connect. Limiting screen time isn't always realistic, and many common solutions reduce blue light by turning your screen yellow. ZAGG InvisibleShield VisionGuard screen protectors and Eyesafe Blue Light Screen filters maintain natural color and meet the highest requirements for efficacy and performance, as certified by TÜV Rheinland.

VisionGuard screen protection for smartphones and tablets is available at ZAGG.com and at the world's largest wireless carriers and retailers. Eyesafe^® Blue Light Screen Filters are available online at https://shop.eyesafe.com. 

About Eyesafe
Eyesafe provides industry-leading technology to reduce high-energy blue light in consumer electronics, helping to re-design displays for human health. Eyesafe technology and standards were developed by a world-class team of eye doctors, engineers and scientists, with decades of experience in electronics, display materials, and light management. Learn more: https://eyesafe.com.

About ZAGG
As a global leader and innovator for screen protection, protective cases, tablet keyboards, and power management solutions, ZAGG mobile accessories are available worldwide and can be found at leading retailers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Currys, and Mediamarkt. Learn more: ZAGG.com.

Media Inquiries:
Bospar, Kimberly Barnes, [email protected]

¹ Statistica 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/
² Screentime Survey 2020 by UnitedHealthcare Vision and Eyesafe, https://eyesafe.com/uhc
³ The Vision Council, https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/blog/vision-council-shines-light-protecting-sight-and-health-multi-screen-era
⁴ International Journal of Ophthalmology, 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6288536
⁵ Behar-Cohen F, et al. Light-emitting diodes (LED) for domestic lighting: any risks for the eye? Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 2011 Jul;30(4):239-57.
⁶ Adolescent Sleep and the Impact of Technology Use Before Sleep on Daytime Function. A.E.E. Johansson et al, Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and Families, 2016. 31(5): p. 498-504

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