We have all seen them, teenagers walking through the mall not paying attention to where they are going and bumping into people because they are texting! I have had adults do the same thing in the airport, run right into me because they were looking at their phones! If you have young grandchildren (or children) watch their habits, they are glued to iPads and tablets!

Sadly, as we become more sophisticated with our devices, we tend to rely on them more heavily. I watched a grown man, totally panicked, break into a run through the airport because he left his phone on the plane. I get it, I would panic too but maybe it really is time to step back and relax a little. When was the last time you ate a meal, watched a movie, or had a meaningful conversation with someone without checking your phone?

Now to add a little more worry to your plate, a recent study found that teens who spent more continuous time on smartphones may become more nearsighted than those who take breaks. When we refer to breaks, we mean a real break, not 5 minutes, and in fact, if you look at a smartphone for more than 20 minutes straight you have more myopic refractive errors than if you weren’t using the phone. Something to think about. Do you remember the guidance “don’t sit too close to the TV or you will hurt your eyes”? Fell on deaf ears, right? Well, try talking to your teens anyway, it can’t hurt and maybe, just maybe you will get through! Stay well, stay informed, and stay tuned!