AOA releases mobile game to educate gamers about eye health

(Adobe.Stock/MixandMatchStudios)

On June 15, 2023, the American Optometric Association (AOA) released a mobile board game, Blink Land, to teach its players about eye health in relation to screen time. Eye Deserve More, AOA’s public awareness campaign, launched this game as a way to demonstrate how gaming and eye health can go together.¹

Many gamers know that screen time has detrimental effects on their vision, but despite this, many gamers do not visit a health care professional for an eye exam every year. Research has shown that prolonged screen time, something gamers are frequently exposed to, often result in eye strain, headaches, dry eyes, and blurred vision. These negative side effects are due to a decreased blink rate while viewing screens.

Blink Land provides gamers with the opportunity to adopt healthy eye habits by sharing tangible actions players can take to protect their eyes. By following the hero character “Blink,” players learn how to maintain eye health by using the 20-20-20 rule, blinking frequently, and setting up screens properly. Blink Land will also educate players on how screen time and eye health are related through facts, trivia, and minigames.

“As someone who has experienced the impact long hours on screens has on my eyes, I felt passionate about developing Blink Land, which incorporates eye health into every aspect of the game” said Elaine Gómez-Sanchez, game designer and developer of Blink Land, in a press release. “With the popularity of gaming on the rise, we should all ensure we are taking proper care of our eye health so we can continue doing all that we love on screens for years to come.”

Blink Land is visible on both Apple and Android devices.

References

1. The American Optometric Association launches first ever eye-friendly mobile board game, Blink Land. News release. June 15, 2023. Accessed June 16, 2023. https://www.aoa.org/about-the-aoa/press-room/press-releases/the-american-optometric-association-launches-first-ever-eye-friendly-mobile-board-game-blink-land?sso=y