Parental influencers will join gamers among six influencers promoting #GameOverMyopia.
BOULDER, Colo.—The Global Myopia Awareness coalition (GMAC) is continuing its efforts to elevate knowledge about myopia in 2020. This month kicks off a new campaign with influential online gamers and parents to raise awareness about myopia in children by encouraging them to discuss the importance of getting away from screens and playing outside. GMAC found that since the COVID-19 outbreak, 44 percent of parents surveyed said their children are spending four or more hours per day on electronic devices, watching television, using handheld devices and even completing school work remotely.

Given many of these children are also gaming, the coalition is bringing its message to them directly via online video game streams, and to parents who are encouraged to re-create their children's favorite digital games, in real life.

"It is clear that while much of the country has been sheltering in place this year, parents have been doing the best they can, often helping children with schoolwork on digital devices," said Matt Oerding, co-founder and CEO of Treehouse Eyes and GMAC board chair. "In fact, 67 percent of the parents we surveyed said their kids are spending more time accessing e-learning tools, and since they're likely using the same devices to chat with friends or play video games, it is all about balance when it comes to screen time."

Myopia has been growing at a rapid rate in children, and it significantly increases a child's risk for more serious eye diseases—even blindness—in adulthood. Yet because so few parents are familiar with myopia, it goes untreated in staggering numbers, creating barriers for children.

It's important to prioritize seeing (in-person or virtually) an eye doctor for early detection, as pediatric or school screenings are not enough. In addition to seeing a doctor, parents should do their best to help kids balance screen time and near-work with other, preferably outdoor, activities, GMAC said.

The new social media campaign initiative will enlist both parenting and gaming influencers to spread awareness about myopia with the #GameOverMyopia hashtag through gaming, both on digital screens and recreated in real life (IRL).

Four well-known parenting influencers will be bringing their kids’ favorite games to life by recreating them in their house or backyard and encouraging parents to be more aware about their kid’s screen usage and how it relates to myopia. The parenting influencers include April Moore and Justin Moore, Mikayla, Tiff & Case Realchan and Maya Vorderstrasse who will be reaching the audience right where they often are, in the gaming world, and will spread awareness about myopia within their online video streams. The influencers will be relaying GMAC messaging in a fun way through YouTube and Instagram TV (IGTV) videos, in addition to various social media posts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. The gaming influencers in #GameOverMyopia includes major gaming star Ninja and Mr. Bee and the Eh Bee Family.

Content will be shared on the six influencers’ respective owned channels which collectively have more than 86 million followers and reach audiences inside and outside of the U.S. All influencers will post at least one video on YouTube or IGTV, accompanied by various social platform messages.

MAC is a coalition of companies and health care associations committed to raising public awareness of childhood myopia, one of the major public health challenges of our time. With 50 percent of the global population estimated to be myopic by 2050, and 20 percent of myopic patients having high myopia, urgent action is needed to reduce the risk of vision impairment and blindness due to high myopia and the socioeconomic burden associated with poor vision.

GMAC is organized under the World Council of Optometry (WCO), and includes the following companies which are leaders in the eyecare industry: Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Essilor, Euclid, Hoya, Jobson Medical Information, Johnson & Johnson, Menicon, Nevakar, Oculus, PentaVision, Sydnexis, SynergEyes, and Visioneering Technologies, Inc.