New research from ophthalmologists shows that our constant screen time is radically changing our eyes. Just like the rest of our bodies, the human eye is supposed to stop growing after our teens. Now it keeps growing.
The authors of the research – The American Academy of Optometry and the American Academy of Ophthalmology both consider myopia an epidemic. The study shows that when our eyes spend more time focusing on near objects, like phones, screens or even paperbacks, it makes our eyeballs elongate, which prevents the eye from bending light the way it should. This elongation increases near-sightedness, called myopia, which causes distant objects to appear blurred. Myopia affects half of the young adults worldwide, twice as many as 50 years ago and over 40 per cent of the population. For adults, this might cause eye strains or speed up existing vision issues. But for kids, whose eyes are still developing, the situation is worse.
The research further shows that the trouble with holding a screen close to your face isn’t about light shining into your eyes, it’s about the strain of the eye. For one, your eyes blink far less when they’re focused so closely. As you’re holding your phone in your hand, performing near work, your muscles stretch and your lenses shift since our eyes over-accommodate to constant close-distance tasks. That’s why they’re growing.
When many of us began working from home and e-learning last year, several researchers predicted this dramatic online increase would cause never-before-seen eye dysfunction. The Ophthalmology research proves that they were right. The average screen time by Indians is estimated to have gone up 25 per cent to almost 7 hours a day as people depend on these gadgets for work/study from home and entertainment amid the pandemic. The report titled 'Smartphones and their impact on human relationships' conducted by Vivo and CMR shows that the average time spent on smartphones in a day has been on the rise with average usage growing 11 per cent to 5.5 hours in March 2020 (pre-COVID) from about 4.9 hours on average in 2019. This has grown by another 25 per cent to 6.9 hours April onwards.
What Can You Do?
Take regular breaks which help eyes rest, blink and lubricate. Follow the 20-20-20 model.
Every 20 minutes, look at a distance 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. “Spend more time outdoors,” recommends Dr Eric Chow, a Miami, Florida optometrist, at least two hours daily. “Studies have shown that increased sunlight decreases myopia progression.”