It is not news that we are currently living in a digital era. A 2023 Gallup survey showed that the average screen time for teens was around eight hours and 40 minutes, a startling two hour jump from 2015, where the average teen screen time was six hours daily. Because of this high exposure to screens, doctors worry about a so-called “blindness epidemic” within Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
There has been an alarming surge in myopia, or nearsightedness cases amongst young people. It is predicted to affect more than half the population by 2050, according to a study by the Brien Holden Vision Institute. Eye doctors attribute this rapid growth to the increased use of screens in our daily life. More specifically, holding screens too close to the face. As teens and children’s’ eyes are developing, this causes the eyes’ focus point to be closer, making further items blurrier.
Dr. Deborah Jones, clinical professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science explains in an interview with the Toronto Star that young kids’ eyes lengthen as they age, but the younger generations eye growth is abnormal, developing at a much faster rate.
Dan Nguyen, Briar Woods freshman shares her opinion,“I have screen time so I don’t spend that much time on my phone, but I definitely agree that our generation’s screen use is concerning. I already know so many instances of young kids being online too early and for too long, so the fact that all of us are more susceptible to this isn’t surprising, but still scary.”
To combat this, optometrists urge younger kids and teens to spend more time outside. While Myopia is not easily reversible, it is easily prevented. As simple as it seems, sunlight can stimulate dopamine release inside the eye, protecting against nearsightedness. Jones said kids should be spending 90-120 minutes outside.
However Nguyen comments that this is hard to do because, “most of [her] assignments are online.”
While spending our days on screens is normalized, we must not neglect our eye health. It is important to talk about these issues so it does not worsen over the coming years. While these statistics are scary, they serve as reminders for us to step away from our screens, and enjoy the world around us.
