Eye Care & Vision prof
Unlocking The Back-to-School Opportunity: How Market Insights Can Help ECPs Grow Their Practice
5 mins read
This article draws on insights from a series of expert discussions hosted throughout the year, including the most recent Future Forward with PRECISION® Lunch & Learn held at the American Optometric Association’s annual meeting in Minneapolis. That session featured Jennifer Hauser, MPH; Carolina Kunnen, PhD, BOptom, BHealth, FBCLA; and Jessilin Quint, OD, MBA, MS, FAAO, sharing strategies to help eye care professionals connect with Gen Z patients and enhance their practices with PRECISION® innovations.
Jessilin Quint
OD, MBA, MS, FAAO
Carolina Kunnen
PhD, BOptom,
BHealth, FBCLA
Jennifer Hauser
MPH, Global Health
Co-Chair, Edelman
Every year, the Back-to-School season generates billions of dollars in spending across the retail landscape, which can and should include spending on eye health. Jennifer Hauser, MPH explains, “This important season also brings with it the potential for a host of new opportunities, and new patients, in the eye care space." Hauser, who has been a consistent voice in this year’s Gen Z-focused sessions, draws on valuable consumer health insights from Edelman’s Gen Z Lab report and its annual Trust Barometer Trust and Health report to help eye care professionals engage this next generation of patients. She says, "There is a particular opportunity in reaching out to Gen Z patients that might be just entering a relationship with an eye care provider or be newly responsible for their own eye care.”
“To highlight this growing opportunity, Alcon partners with ECPs to help them better understand the Back-to-School opportunity and Gen Z patients.” – Carolina Kunnen
Understanding the Back-to-School Opportunity
When considering the Back-to-School season, it becomes clear that a significant opportunity arises for eye care professionals to engage Gen Z consumers in contact lens purchases. With $150 billion in total Back-to-School spending expected this year,1 there is a prime opportunity to connect with and capture the attention of young shoppers that fall into the Gen Z age range, as well as their families. Dr Jessilin Quint, sees the opportunity as a way to benefit her patients and her practice.
“Vision correction is often an essential consideration for families for Back-to-School, making it an ideal time to promote contact lenses as a potential new part of your patients’ routines, especially if they are currently glasses-only wearers.” – Dr. Quint
The timing of Back-to-School is particularly relevant knowing that two out of three contact lens wearers began wearing lenses between the ages of 11 and 20,2 which fall within the Gen Z age range, and 69 million Gen Z individuals were born in the U.S.3
When considering this Back-to-School opportunity, Dr. Quint says, “Understanding and connecting with this target group during the Back-to-School surge not only helps me meet the immediate needs of my Gen Z patients but can help establish long-term loyalty for my practice.”
How to Talk to Gen Z
Kunnen recommends, “When talking to your Gen Z patients about contact lens wear, start by tailoring the conversation to their age and lifestyle. For your youngest patients, ages 12-16, discussions can be centered around their daily routines and activities by asking questions like, “What activities are you involved in?” or “Would contact lenses be a good alternative to your glasses when you play sports or other school activities?”
Dr. Quint discussed the role parents play, “For this age group it’s important to include parents in the conversation. In fact, many parents want to know at what age contact lens wear is appropriate, and they have a lot of questions.”
For Gen Z patients ages 17-24 who are more independent, the focus can broaden to include how contact lens wear might boost their confidence or help them express themselves, and how lenses fit into their broader lifestyle in high school or college, in the workforce and at social events.
“Regardless of age, an important question to ask is, ‘How much screen time are you exposed to?’ Gen Z spends much of their time on screens and it’s a critical consideration when recommending contact lenses.” – Dr. Quint
By combining credibility with connection, providers can build lasting relationships with patients that are a part of this influential generation.
Back-to-School Means Back to Screens
Back-to-School means back to screens, and for Gen Z patients, that can take a toll on eye comfort. Hauser had some illuminating statistics. “From study sessions and schoolwork, at-home and on-the-go, on average patients spend 44% of waking hours looking at screens.6,7”
In fact, swiping and tapping happens more than 2,600 times a day,8 and this non-stop interaction could have an impact on eye health. “People blink 60% less during screen use,9-12 and there are no signs of slowing down,” Dr. Quint explained, “Less blinking means less moisture and more opportunity for eyes to become dry and irritated. These habits make it especially important to ask about screen time and eye dryness during eye exams for my Gen Z patients.”
“To help patients counteract excessive screen time, I promote strategies like the 20-20-20 rule, and I recommend contact lenses designed to help patients outsmart Digital Device Dryness, like PRECISION® contact lenses.” – Dr. Quint
Alcon’s Precision® Contact Lenses
Kunnen had this to say about Alcon PRECISION® contact lenses, “They offer flexibility and range that should fit any qualifying Gen Z patient. PRECISION1® is a daily disposable contact lens and PRECISION7® is a 1-week replacement lens. Both offer 16 hours of outstanding comfort and precise vision,13,14 and are often recommended for younger or new lens wearers.”
Dr. Quint shared; “I like recommending PRECISON7® lenses for this age group. They have an easy-to-remember replacement schedule that involves simply picking your favorite day. These lenses are also a great value, which appeals to older Gen Z patients who may be on their own for the first time and responsible for their own eye care.”
The Bottom Line For ECPs
The insights shared during this year’s Gen Z series reflect Alcon’s ongoing commitment to providing ECPs with practical strategies to grow their practices by engaging with the next generation of patients and including them through innovations like Alcon’s PRECISION® lenses. Understanding this opportunity and how Gen Z factors into it can help you better connect with and serve this influential generation of patients and can affect your practice in a positive way as well.
Learn more about Back-to-School at www.AlconBacktoSchool.com
1. Back-to-School Shopping Statistics. July 2024. Accessed at https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/back-to-school-shopping-statistics/.
2. Edelman R. The Sensible Generation - Gen Z and Trust. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://www.edelman.com/insights/sensible-generation-gen-z-and-trust.
3. Edelman R. The Sensible Generation - Gen Z and Trust. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://www.edelman.com/insights/sensible-generation-gen-z-and-trust.
4. PwC report shows importance of social media to healthcare. Healthcare Finance News. Published 2018. https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/pwc-report-shows-importance-social-media-healthcare
5. Edelman R. The Sensible Generation - Gen Z and Trust. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://www.edelman.com/insights/sensible-generation-gen-z-and-trust.
6. Howarth J. Alarming average screen time statistics (2024). Exploding Topics. Published December 4, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://explodingtopics.com/blog/screen-time-stats.
7. Kemp S. DataReportal, Digital 2024: Global Overview Report. Meltwater, We are social. Published online January 2024 Accessed May 29, 2024. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024global-overview-report.
8. Winnick M. Putting a Finger on Our Phone Obsession. Dscout. Accessed at: https://dscout.com/people-nerds/mobile-touches.
9. Dumbleton K, Caffery B, Dogru M, et al. The TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort: report of the subcommittee on epidemiology. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54(11):TFOS20-TFOS36.
10. Tsubota K, Nakamori K. Dry eyes and video display terminals. N Engl J Med. 1993;328(8):584.
11. Patel S, Henderson R, Bradley L, Galloway B, Hunter L. Effect of visual display unit use on blink rate and tear stability. Optom Vis Sci. 1991;68(11):888-892.
12. Hall L, Coles-Brennan C. Digital eye strain: more screen time = more digital eye strain. Contact Lens Spectrum. 2015;30:38-40.
13. Fogt J, Patton K. Long day wear experience with water surface daily disposable contact lenses. Clin Optom. 2022(14):93-99.
14. In a 2-week prospective clinical study in the US; n=181; CLEAR CARE® Cleaning & Disinfecting Solution used for cleaning and disinfection; Alcon data on file, 2023.
Important information for PRECISION7® (serafilcon A) contact lenses: For daily wear or extended wear up to 6 nights for near/far-sightedness. Risk of serious eye problems (i.e., corneal ulcer) is greater for extended wear. In rare cases, loss of vision may result. Side effects like discomfort, mild burning or stinging may occur.
See product instructions for complete wear, care and safety information.
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