The rates of Short-sightedness are increasingly becoming a problem for many in comparison to how things were ten years ago; research shows. The answer to this problem is right in front of you, standing on a desk or held gently on your hands, displaying this exact article. Smartphones are a hazard to your eyesight since they cause the eyeballs to grow longer than they should continuously, ophthalmologists reveal.
The scope of digital devices, tablets, smartphones, and laptops among others are major contributors to this problem termed as myopia in medical terms.
Myopia, also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness refers to the inability of an eye to focus on objects at a distance. When light enters a normal, it is focused on the retina, a membrane at the back of the eyeball which has cells sensitive to light and sends impulses to the optic nerve and to the brain. In a myopic eye, light is not focused on this membrane and instead, converges on a point in front of it. As a result, an individual gets a blurred vision when trying to focus on objects at a distance.
“The initial theory for this is that people are doing more near-plane reading activity with smartphones which is encouraging the eye to become myopic to meet that environmental need. There’s also evidence that suggests this is happening too quickly for it to be purely an environmental or genetic response.” Andrew Bastawrous, an eye health expert explains.
In this digital generation, too much time is spent up close on these devices and less time is spend outside focusing on distant objects. Researchers are certain that the blue light from mobile screen and laptops is a strong stimulus which may quicken the problem. In addition, these devices are portable, which means that people are often carrying the problem all around.
In addition, individuals who spend too much time on computer screens frequently develop Computer Vision Syndrome, where victims complain of itchy dry eyes as well as stressed ocular muscles. Eye problems from digital screens can affect pretty much anyone including children especially now that these devices are being introduced in the classroom.
Children are not born with vision that is fully developed since growth continues through early and middle stages of growth. When children spend most of these years staring a screen, the eyes are essentially being trained to focus on close objects. Over time, this problem develops and may even result to permanent near-focused eyes.
Gadgets are fun, we know. But get into a habit of taking breaks, exploring the environment and watching starts. It’s not that boring, trust me.
