The Debate Goes On

He says there has been a great deal of debate about the effects of screens on children’s eyes, and the Computer Vision Syndrome caused when screens are watched for too long, which is said to cause poor eye-teaming, eye fatigue, blurred vision and dry eyes. 

However, Rodney says other factors are now entering the discussion as eye experts become increasingly aware of the growing impact on vision caused by technology and lifestyle, in some cases as a result of studies-based experience during Covid-19 lockdowns. 

Far Beyond Fatigue

These have led to suggestions that long spells of screen watching at one focal distance could adversely impact on children’s distance and peripheral vision (side vision) as well as their depth and perceptual vision skills, and affect their understanding of what they are seeing; and it might even contribute to the epidemic levels of myopia (shortsightedness) currently affecting one in three people globally.

He says this is supported by researchers studying myopia (nearsightedness), and its growth to epidemic levels along with the speedy growth of technology, close work, and urbanisation, which has resulted in largely indoor and screen-dominated lifestyles. 

“Taking children’s natural tendency to mimic their parents’ habits into consideration, many of these researchers are increasingly focusing on this type of lifestyle when looking for a cause for myopia, instead of focusing entirely on parental genes. And their move in this direction has, in turn, been supported by studies showing a significant growth in myopia during lockdowns, particularly in young children,” Rodney says.

Cutting the Connection with Learning

According to Rodney, while technology, and specially screens, provide quick access to knowledge, and even faster answers, there is no real connection created between the viewer and the information or two-dimensional image on the screen. Nor is there a tangible one with the computer that delivers it. And as quickly as it is delivered, it can be deleted from the screen, and even from the viewer’s memory. 

This lack of connection or engagement can impact considerably on children’s perceptual vision, the skill that enables them to understand what they are seeing on the screen, and its relevance in their lives. It can also lead to a loss of curiosity about knowledge, and shorter attention spans when it comes to learning. 

“Studies have shown that children learn best when engaged on a person- to-person basis, whether that’s with a parent or a teacher. Perhaps it’s a throwback to a time long ago, when most children learned from their parents about how to function, behave, and survive in the real world, and learning was, more often than not, the result of demonstration, participation, observation, and practicality,” Rodney says.

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on myopia treatment and management, as well as to learn about vision therapy, or to book an appointment for a visual perception test online, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

The Picture Painted by Numbers

During the past decade, the overall global population has risen by only 14% (just under 1billion) from 6.9 billion in 2010 to 7.8 billion in 2020. But, according to Rodney, over the same period huge spikes in the number of people struggling with vision.

This has pushed the global figures on visual impairment and uncorrected refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness) to a current total of 2.5 billion people worldwide. This shows an eight times increase of 2billion people on a figure of 285million only 10 years ago, and pushes up the impact of vision problems to affecting 32% of the global population from only 4% in 2010.

“And 1 billion (or 40%) of those 2.5billion are dealing with eye conditions which could have been addressed or corrected, which could be caused by unawareness, or by lack of access to treatment, ” Rodney says.

Call to Action

The soaring statistics have certainly acted as calls to action, and government and eye-health organisations, scientists and researchers have responded in many countries by trying to determine why vision issues are spiking, how to slow the curve, and how to increase awareness of the threat that curve contains, says Rodney.

However, the opinions and approaches differ as to why vision problems are now affecting every third person in the world. Theories which include the increase in urban lifestyle, diet, location, genetics, too much screen time and the increased role of technology, as well as regular sedentary and close-up work and too little exercise or outdoor time, are all being investigated as possible answers or contributors to the overall problem.

According to Rodney, one of the biggest reasons is the epidemic-like rise in myopia or shortsightedness, a refractive error which affects the eyes’ ability to receive information correctly and deliver it to the brain for processing into a understandable, relevant, and meaningful image.

The People Who are Most at Risk

Statistics suggest that the most likely to have poor vision are those who live in developing countries such as those in the South-East Asia, the Western Pacific, and African regions. These areas account for about 70 percent of the vision impaired population. Most are females of any age; from the middle or lower income groups; or over 50 years old. 

Rodney said of the wide range of vision impairments and functional errors, the one most likely to cause the severest damage to sight is cataract. Statistics show it as being responsible for 51% of global blindness.

However, nearsightedness, because of its high prevalence and the major threat it offers, even when at its lowest levels of progression, not only to people’s sight, but also to their general and mental health, their self-image, and their ability to learn, has to be seen as equally serious. And when it is allowed to progress to its highest level, it can also lead to non-age-related macular degeneration, retinal tears and detachment; contribute to the development of cataract, and also sometimes, to blindness, Rodney says.  

For more information about vision impairments, myopia and the global threat to vision, and more importantly what you can do to prevent it, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.