Nearsightedness (myopia) is incredibly common, and is predicted to affect half the global population by 2050. Myopia is a vision problem in which close objects appear clear but distant objects are blurry. This condition is thought to be caused by refractive errors in your eye. When light rays are refracted through your eye’s cornea and lens, they become focused on the retina, which then converts the light into messages sent through the optic nerve to your brain, which then interprets the messages into images. Refractive errors occur when the shape of your eye prevents light from focusing properly on your retina due to changes in the shape of your eye, such as the length of your eyeball or shape of your cornea, and/or changes in your lens due to aging. But what exactly is responsible for these changes?
Conclusive Proof: Excessive Screen Time Promotes Myopia
According to recent research, excessive staring at electronic screens is to blame. Eye health experts say research now links overuse of computer and smartphone screens to several progressive, irreversible eye disorders, such as dry eye disease and myopia, at rates not seen before. Over time, staring too long at screens can change the structure of the eyeball and lead to atrophy of the glands that keep it moist. Research is now pointing to excessive screen time for the rise in eye disorders, such as dry eye and myopia, which are becoming more common and affect more young people. While myopia or nearsightedness has a genetic component, it has been shown to progress faster in people who overuse screens. When the eye is forced to stare at something too close, the brain and eye adjust or ‘accommodate’ to increase close-up vision. Over time, the squeezing of muscles can change the shape of or elongate the eyeball. This can cause dramatic changes in eye function, especially in a child’s eye that’s not fully developed . It is also leading to more cases of crossed eyes and double vision.
How Long Is Too Long?
Unfortunately, we still do not know exactly how many hours is too many when it comes to screen time. Rather than fixating on a specific number of hours, be aware of how your eyes feel while you’re watching TV, working on your computer or browsing the net on your phone. If your eyes feel dry, tense or tired, take more frequent breaks and be conscious of your need to blink more often.
That said, children between the ages of 5 and 17 should keep their screen time below two hours a day, In the first year of life, a baby should not be exposed to electronic screens at all. Spending Time Outdoors Is Protective
It is recommended that children spend recess and lunch outdoors, to take breaks when using digital devices, and to make sure they’re getting daily exposure to natural sunlight. Sunlight releases dopamine in your retina, slowing the growth of your eye and therefore possibly slowing the elongation of the eye and changes to your sight.
Remarkably, a British survey from 2016 found that 75% of children in the U.K. spent less time outdoors than prison inmates. Considering we’ve just gone through three years of on-and-off lockdowns and school shutdowns, this statistic may be even worse nowadays.
To be continued…
Ref: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2023/05/04/excessive-screen-time-myopia.aspx
