Euclid Joins GMAC on Impactful #GameOver Campaign to Spread the Word about Myopia Management

Euclid Systems Corporation is proud to join other eye care leaders in supporting the ongoing #GameOverMyopia initiative by the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC) to raise awareness about childhood myopia. The GMAC campaign encourages gamers to talk about why it is important to take breaks from screens and spend time outdoors.

Connection Between COVID-19 and Myopia

Since the COVID-19 outbreak started, everyone is spending more time indoors and that means increased screen time, which is particularly concerning for children’s eye health. A GMAC survey found that 61% of parents said their child’s use of video games has increased during the pandemic, and 44% said their kids are spending four or more hours per day on electronic devices, watching television, using handheld devices and participating in virtual learning.^*

Raising Awareness About Myopia

GMAC decided to leverage popular online video game streams and gaming influencers to raise myopia awareness by reaching children where they are-in the digital gaming world. In a creative twist, the gamer influencers will be playing games with an eye doctor to discuss how screen time relates to myopia.

GMAC spokesperson Millicent Knight, OD, is featured in the campaign, in which she plays popular video games with influential gamers known as Mr. Bee and Atomic Mari. Mikayla Shocks and Heather Brooker, two well-known parents, also post on social media about their family’s screen time through gaming using the #GameOverMyopia hashtag.

The content posted by the gaming influencers also drives followers to GMAC’s new webpage, which is housed on the All About Vision website. The page features the sections “About Myopia,” “About GMAC,” and “Myopia FAQs,” and was created to provide parents with information about the risks of childhood myopia and myopia treatment options.

Preventing Myopia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

GMAC was created in 2019 realizing the “Clear need for greater public awareness about childhood myopia,” one of the major public health challenges facing Americans. The coalition is made up of leading ophthalmic companies and eye health associations and is organized under the World Council of Optometry (WCO). The group has also created an advisory panel of experts across pediatric optometry, school nursing, and ophthalmology.

With 50% of the global population estimated to be myopic by 2050, and 20% 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.¹ Because so few parents are familiar with myopia, it goes untreated in staggering numbers, creating barriers for children.

To follow along with the campaign, search #GameOverMyopia on social media.

^{* Poll conducted by GMAC – Golin, with Ipsos, conducted a survey between May 29 – June 2, 2020. A sample of 2,007 parents with a child under 18 years old from the U.S. were interviewed online in English. The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for all respondents.}