September 4, 2020
The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC) reports success in its recent Game On: Battling Myopia IRL social media campaign (#GameOverMyopia).
The campaign, which was launched in June, focused on helping parents balance virtual school and work with other screen time, such as watching TV and playing video games. To do so it collaborated with key influencers – parents and gamers active on social media – to spread awareness about myopia in children and to encourage discussions about the importance of getting away from screens and playing outside. These influencers shared online their experience in recreating their favorite video game in real life instead of just online.
The influencers include April Moore and Justin Moore, Mikayla, Tiff & Case Realchan, Maya Vorderstrasse and gaming star Mr. Bee, who spread awareness about myopia within their online video streams. The influencers also relayed GMAC messaging through YouTube and Instagram TV videos, in addition to various social media posts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
The campaign included a survey of 2,007 parents with a child under age 18. According to that survey, 34 percent of parents say they are unfamiliar with myopia. Forty-four percent of parents reported that their children spend four or more hours per day on electronic devices, with 61 percent of parents saying their child’s use of video games has increased since COVID-19. A majority of parents – 59 percent – reported that they spent four or more hours per day on electronic devices.
GMAC is organized under the World Council of Optometry (WCO), and includes companies in the eye care industry: Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Essilor, Euclid, Hoya, Jobson Medical Information, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Menicon, Nevakar, Oculus, PentaVision, Sydnexis, SynergEyes and Visioneering Technologies, Inc.
For more on GMAC’s Game On: Battling Myopia IRL social media campaign (#GameOverMyopia), listen to Review of Myopia Management’s podcast with GMAC Board Chair Matt Oerding.
