The digital era has been around for the public since the 1990s with the rapid rise of the World Wide Web. Before that, digital screen time mostly had been the television except for the military, scientists, and researchers who spent time in front of digital screens since the 1950s. In more recent decades, with the explosion of devices such as tablets, smartphones, and digital devices entering the work area, digital screen time has increased for the population. With infants and children, the effects of digital screen time vary depending upon the environment the child is being raised in, how that family interacts with their baby, and the digital screens they have. Regarding eyesight, scientists, doctors, and researchers have noted a global rise in myopia in the population. All the more reason to have a sincere chat with the Houston LASIK doctors about habits and issues with the eyes in your family. Some problems are genetic while other issues are caused not by the technology but by habits and choices.
Myopia
Myopia defines as a condition where objects nearby are seen well while objects in the distance become blurry. Commonly called nearsightedness it classifies as a focus disorder. Symptoms even in young children list as headaches, squinting, and eyestrain. Some babies are born with myopia, and a small portion of the global population has myopia due to genetics. It runs in families as in if the parents are myopic, then the chances increase that the children will be myopic. The shape of the eye keeps the light from bending properly, and the beam does not land in the most optimal spot on the retina, or it lands before the retinal tissue in the vitreous humor. The retina is the tissue that sends signals to the brain that a person has seen something through its rods and cones.
A 2016 study in Ophthalmology by Holden, Fricke, and Jong did a systemic review and meta-analysis on myopia trends from 2000 to 2050 using data from 1995 to 2016. It gathered data from 145 studies that had 2.1 million participants. Using regression analysis, it estimated that 1406 million people have myopia, which is almost 23 % of the global population. By 2050, it is estimated that 4758 people will have myopia, which is nearly 50 % of the world’s population.
Myopia and Screen Time
A 2020 study in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 2020 by Lanca and Saw checked if digital screen time increased myopic risk. It reminded everyone that the prevalence of myopia had increased before digital use in some countries. Looking at 15 studies and a total of 49,789 children from ages 3 to 19 years old, an association between length of screen time and myopia was found to be mixed. Recent smaller studies have begun to classify the length of time infants and children are in front of digital screens. All say more studies need to be done. What can be said is that if a baby or child has a tendency toward myopia or a family history of myopia, limiting screen time would be a good idea.
Limiting Myopia
Natural light does not increase myopia, so spending time outdoors helps children develop proper eyesight. Like all things in parenting, finding a balance between all the necessities for modern life takes structuring activities as in a reasonable time to watch television, reasonable gameplay on devices and phones, and reasonable time indoors versus outdoors. Some medical groups, such as pediatricians, recommend nearly no screen time for infants as in total concentration on it, but if the infant is playing in the room with something else near the digital screen, it likely will not cause an issue. Presently, the place to find the best information on it for individuals in your family remains with the doctors in the Lasik clinic or the doctor during the eye exam.
Since 2005, Houston LASIK has been providing surgical vision correction technologies to patients from the Greater Houston Area and all over the world. The center specializes in multiple premium technologies including LASIK, EVO ICL (Intraocular Collamer Lens), ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation), and RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange). Houston LASIK & Eye is well known for using state-of-the-art technology and personalized care to help patients see their best. Patients receive customized surgical solutions from a team of highly experienced and award-winning ophthalmologists and optometrists. For more information, visit www.houston-lasik.com or call 281-240-0478.
Sources
- https://myopiainstitute.org/myopia/#ttps://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/myopia-nearsightedness
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C44&q=Holden+BA%2C+Fricke+TR%2C+Wilson+DA%2C+Jong+M%2C+Naidoo+KS%2C+Sankaridurg+P%2C+Wong+TY%2C+Naduvilath+TJ%2C+Resnikoff+S%2C+Global+Prevalence+of+Myopia+and+High+Myopia+and+Temporal+Trends+from+2000+through+2050%2C+Ophthalmology%2C+May+2016+Volume+123%2C+Issue+5%2C+Pages+1036%E2%80%931042.&btnG=
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- https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/44/3/zsaa158/5896445
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C44&q=Lanca+C%2C+Saw+SM.+The+association+between+digital+screen+time+and+myopia%3A+a+systematic+review.+Ophthalmic+Physiol+Opt.+2020%3B40%3A216%E2%80%93229.+Foreman+J%2C+Salim+AT%2C+Praveen+A%2C+et+al.+Association+between+digital+smart+device+use+and+myopia%3A+a+systematic+review+and+meta-analysis.+Lancet+Digit+Health.+2021%3B3%3Ae806%E2%80%93e818.&btnG=
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10122061/
- https://www.proquest.com/health/docview/2866751088/4A7EB7724A2844C7PQ/2?accountid=7513&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals
