Teen Mental Health and Social Media: What Parents Need to Know | Ashlyn Hirota
In this episode, I sit down with 16 year old Ashlyn Hirota to explore how social media is shaping teen body image from the inside out. Through powerful peer data, original artwork, and a teen’s real world perspective, we unpack how filters, comparison, and online beauty standards are quietly impacting confidence and mental health.
Biohacking Your Morning for Peak Energy
In this episode, I share a simple, science-informed morning routine that starts with your eyes - not with your phone. You’ll learn how tiny shifts in light, hydration, and phone habits can transform your energy, focus, and sleep, even if you’re a busy parent, professional, or both.
Glaucoma Prevention: Family Eye Health Guide | Dr. Vicki Chan
In this episode, I sit down with glaucoma specialist Dr. Vicki Chan to explain the "flow in, flow out" mechanics of eye pressure. Learn how to move from reactive worry to intentional prevention for your children, your aging parents, and yourself.
Family Sunday Reset: Systems for the Mental Load
In this episode of In Focus, I walk you through what I call the Sunday Focus Protocol: a simple system designed to reduce chaos, prevent decision fatigue, and bring peace back into your week.
What Teens Are Really Seeing on Social Media—And Why It Matters | Erin Treloar
As a pediatric ophthalmologist and mom of three, I spend a lot of time thinking about screens — not just what they do to kids’ eyes, but how they shape the world our children live in. Kids today aren’t just watching content once a month like we did with magazines — they’re scrolling through thousands of images and videos every day. And that constant exposure is impacting how they think about themselves.
Guilt-Free Sleep: Do Nightlights Actually Ruin Your Child’s Vision?
In my clinic, I’m often asked whether using a night light will worsen a child’s vision. It’s a question that comes up again and again, usually tied to an old study that still circulates online. As both a pediatric ophthalmologist and a parent, I want families to know that the concern is understandable—but the fear is outdated. When we look at higher-quality data, night lights are not the driver of nearsightedness, and parents can make this choice without worry.
Online Safety 101: What Parents Aren’t Being Told About Their Kids’ Apps | Detective Michael Chun
I thought we were doing a pretty good job keeping our kids safe online — until this conversation with Detective Michael Chun. It made me realize that safety today isn’t just about filters and screen limits. It’s about teaching our kids how to notice what feels off, even on a screen. As a mom, that shift felt both sobering and empowering.
The Anti-Supplement Guide to Eye Health: Protecting Your Family’s Vision Without Extra Pills
Every January, I watch people overhaul their diets, their workouts, and their budgets—but almost no one thinks about their eyes. As a pediatric ophthalmologist and a mom of three, that scares me. Because unlike weight gain or missed workouts, you can’t undo damage to the eye later. Once certain cells are gone, they’re gone for good. That’s why I want parents to stop relying on marketing and start understanding what the eye actually needs—real food, real light, and habits that protect vision for decades, not just this year.
Minimizing Complications: What Questions to Ask Your Surgeon Beforehand | Uday Devgan, MD
Cataract surgery is often called “routine,” but what keeps patients safe happens long before—and far beyond—the few minutes in the operating room. In this final episode of my cataract surgery series, I sat down with Dr. Uday Devgan to talk about the real factors that reduce complications: recognizing subtle warning signs early, responding calmly when something changes, and continually learning from surgical experience. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what truly makes cataract surgery safe.
Personalizing Cataract Surgery: Aligning Patient Preferences and Ocular Characteristics | Neda Shamie, MD
Cataract surgery today looks very different from what many patients remember their parents or grandparents going through. We now have advanced lens technology that can reduce dependence on glasses—but only when it’s chosen carefully. That’s why understanding the decision-making process behind lens selection matters so much.