Often appears in childhood, short-sightedness (as known myopia) is a common eye condition that causes distant objects to appear blurred. According to studies, 5 out of 10 children are affected by myopia during primary school years and by the time they are in secondary school, the affected ratio increases to 8.
To set the record straight, myopia is caused by a combination of both genetic and environmental factors such as spending too much time indoors and extended periods of time on near tasks like reading, writing or playing with smart devices.
In as much as we would want Big & Small M to have perfect eyesight, it seems a far reaching goal to reach when our ophthalmologist said they have myopia of varying levels and have to wear prescription glasses. In as much as we would like to limit our children usage of smart devices and screen exposure, it would be challenging to monitor them at all times.
What a blessing it is when we were introduced to a special friend in the form of an app – Plano – a Parenting Control App which is developed with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC) to reduce risk factors associated with myopia, monitor device usage, filter unwanted content, and notify us when the kids step out of the designated safe zone.
The app brings along these benefits:
- Using artificial intelligence to detect early signs of myopia, auto check-up reminders and parental reports
- Live intervention to correct eye to screen distance and/or posture
- Auto-timer when screen is on incentives to stop use when prompted
- Schedule no-device timings
- Plano empowers and rewards outdoor time and device-free activities
Our Experience
Indeed, knowing the benefits of Plano app is not enough and we just have to try it out. While we appreciate technological innovations, any app that is too complex or difficult to use (though may include many features) will deter us from using it. For a start, “simple and intuitive” are our first impressions after downloading.
We are delighted that facial recognition technology is embedded in Plano app to gauge Big & Small M’s eyes distance to the mobile phone. This is what happens when their eyes are too close to smart device. A notification will “pop up” to signal them.
Second, the app engages and interacts as well. Fun elements in the form of games are available to keep your child entertained. The more they play, the more points they earned.
With the points they earned, they will be rewarded as well. We are a tad surprised that Plano has collaborated with various merchants to provide fun activities for the kids. This feature motivates the kids to be disciplined when using the app of course, induces a fun and positive experience for them. Scroll through the plano shop you can select the activities you want to redeem with the points you earned. How good is it!
Oh, did we miss out that Plano app also provides a safety feature to notify parents when their little ones venture out of the designated safe zone? Ultimately, physical safety is of paramount importance to everyone and we are just glad that Plano app has brought all these to us. With just a few clicks, you can get a hold of this amazing app:
Enter the world of Plano in 4 east steps:
- Download
- Download plano® for FREE!
- Download for iOS: http://apple.co/2y8Kiwu
- Download for Android: http://bit.ly/2hdo02g
- Register
- Click on ‘register’ and enter email address and password!
- Install Your Profile
- iOS users will need to install Mobile Device Management profile as required by Apple to allow you to supervise your child’s device.
- Add Child
- Click on ‘add child’ and enter name, DOB and eyesight details
Now with Plano app in place, we can remotely control or turn off the smart devices should the kids indulge in them for extended period or view shows that bring negative impact. What a friend we have in Plano!
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