Thirty minutes of tablet use reduces tear film stability in myopic children

Thirty minutes of tablet use in children with myopia reduced tear film stability and worsened some symptoms of eye strain, according to a study, which also found a higher screen correlated color temperature (CCT) was associated with a small increase in near work-induced transient myopia (NITM).

Researchers evaluated 24 myopic children who watched a 30-minute video on tablets set to either a low CCT (2800 K) or high CCT (8500 K) on separate days. Measurements of NITM, binocular vision function, tear break-up time (TBUT), and asthenopia symptoms were recorded before and immediately after each viewing session.

A significant interaction between CCT setting and examination time was observed for NITM, with the high-CCT tablet producing a greater increase in initial NITM after viewing compared with the low-CCT tablet. No significant effects of CCT were found for other visual function measures, TBUT, or asthenopia symptom scores.

Regardless of screen setting, the 30-minute tablet task reduced TBUT and aggravated some eye strain symptoms. The investigators noted that although the high-CCT tablet resulted in a statistically significant increase in initial NITM, the magnitude of the difference was small and its clinical relevance remains uncertain.

Reference
Chen Y, Mei L, Feng Y, et al. Impact of tablet’s correlated color temperature on ocular and visual function in myopic children: a pilot study. Front Med (Lausanne). 2026;13:1804663. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1804663. PMID: 42210963; PMCID: PMC13212085.