New ZEISS Study Finds Majority of Parents Worry About Impact of Screen Time on Their Children’s Eye Health, Value Protective Behaviors to Maintain Eyesight

Amid Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, ZEISS Recommends New SmartLife Young Lenses Designed to Meet Changing Needs of Children and Teenagers

HEBRON, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month begins, ZEISS Vision Care, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of eyeglass lenses and ophthalmic instruments, has released the results of a nationwide survey of parents with children aged 18 and under in the household about their concerns, behaviors and spending habits tied to maintaining and protecting their children’s long-term eye health. This survey data confirms that many parents hold concerns about how an increasingly digital-centric lifestyle will impact their child’s eyes and acknowledge the importance of protection behaviors.

With families preparing to send their children back to school in August and September, Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month each August is an annual national health observance with the goal of educating parents on best practices for keeping children’s eyes healthy. While vision is important for overall health, it is also critical for helping children learn and succeed in the classroom. The ZEISS survey found that 88% of parents are concerned about the eye health of their children. Early detection of eye health issues can reduce the likelihood of serious eye concerns as children age into adulthood.

Top findings from the ZEISS survey include:

• Parents, even those with younger children, are concerned about the impact of digital strain on their children’s eyes
  • 82% of all parents are at least somewhat concerned about their children experiencing digital eye strain from using electronics.
  • Parents with young children are concerned about the impacts of screen time on their children’s eyes – 95% of parents with kids between the ages of 4 and 9 are concerned.
  • While 54% of parents say their children spend three or more hours outside every day, 63% say their children spend three or more hours of screen time every day.
• Parents are using a range of protection behaviors to protect their children’s eyes
  • 76% of parents believe they play a role in enforcing their children’s eye protection behaviors, with 41% using screen-time breaks and 58% using glasses, including blue light, prescription, sun/UV or photochromatic/transition lenses.
  • Most parents who indicate their children wear glasses say they wear them mostly while using electronics (48%), then outside (39%) or at school (37%).
• Parents understand and appreciate the value of age-specific eye care
  • 60% of parents believe that children need age-specific glasses.
  • Parents understand that eye health care is much more than clear vision, with 57% saying they’d spend money on their child’s eye health even if there were no immediately tangible results (i.e., instantly seeing more clearly).
• There are opportunities for parents to do more to protect their children’s eye health
  • 63% of parents believe their children need to get their eyes checked once per year, yet only 47% see an optometrist annually (compared to primary care physician at 78% and dentist at 71%).
  • Though half of parents with children who spend 3 or more hours of screen time every day say they’re extremely or very concerned about their children experiencing digital eye strain (48%), that doesn’t always translate into action – roughly one-third don’t get their children’s eyes examined every year (31%).
  • 33% of parents say that reducing eye strain would be a motivator to purchase glasses for their children.

With extensive experience supporting the eye health needs of consumers of all ages, ZEISS recently introduced ZEISS Single Vision SmartLife Young lenses, designed specifically to meet the needs of children ages 6-19. These lenses take into account the age, anatomy and lifestyle demands unique to children. For example, as a child grows, the shape of their face, distance between their eyes and other proportions gradually change. This impacts the position of lenses on their face. Furthermore, children hold phones and tablets closer to their eyes, due to their shorter arms and smaller proportions. ZEISS SmartLife Young lenses are optimized for these nuances. They also come standard with sunglass-level UV protection, can be customized with blue light protection, and are covered under the nation’s largest vision insurance plans.

“The latest research shows that children are living much different lives today than they were even just two decades ago, and they need age-appropriate eyecare solutions to account for time spent outdoors playing, in the classroom learning, and using digital screens for school or fun,” said Jens Boy, president of ZEISS Vision Care North America. “ZEISS SmartLife Young lenses address age-specific needs, such as anatomical and pupil size changes, and provide wider fields of clear vision to help children see better and protect their long-term eye health.”

For more information about ZEISS Vision Care, and to find a ZEISS-partner eyecare professional in your area, visit https://www.zeiss.com/vision-care/us/home.html.

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 10 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2023).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world’s leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company’s significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS’ technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 15 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 43,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 30 production sites, 60 sales and service companies and 27 research and development facilities (status: 30 September 2023). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com.

ZEISS Vision Care

ZEISS Vision Care is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of eyeglass lenses and ophthalmic instruments. The unit is allocated to the Consumer Markets segment and develops and produces offerings for the entire eyeglass value chain that are distributed globally under the ZEISS brand.

Survey Methodology

ZEISS surveyed 1,000 U.S. parents with children aged 18 or under in their household. The survey was fielded using the Forsta HX platform and panel was sourced from RepData. Fielding was executed in June 2024.

Contacts

Press contact
Allison for ZEISS Vision Care

Chloe Stevens

Phone: +1 541 743 1333

E-Mail: chloe.stevens@allisonworldwide.com

www.zeiss.com/newsroom
www.zeiss.com/vision-news