Abstract Low level light therapy utilizes the photochemical effect of red light to induce reactions in the irradiated body tissue to achieve the therapeutic effect. Myopia and amblyopia are diseases which threaten the eye health of children and adolescents. Red light has been used to treat amblyopia for decades. Recently, its application in myopia prevention and control has become a new hotspot. This review summarizes the application of low level red light in children and adolescents with myopia and amblyopia from the aspects of intervention mode, effect, factors, mechanism and safety to provide reference for future researches.