Throughout the world there is an epidemic of myopia (nearsightedness).
According to Dr. Jeffery Cooper, a myopia researcher, in the early 1970s there was about 25% myopia among U.S. young adults. Compare that to 41% in 2004. Genetics cannot explain such a change!
Taiwan is now 80% myopic. In South Korea in 1955 myopia affected 18%. In 2011— 96%.
Interested?
This problem starts in our children. Some activity may make their eyes shorter (farsighted). Other activities may make our children’s eyes longer (nearsighted).
Near work such as reading, computers, cell phones etc. makes eyes longer. Traditionally children like to be active which means outdoor play. Something in the allure of computer technology has changed the childhood behavior of wanting the freedom of the outdoors and associated folic. This link to the National Library of Medicine shows a 2% reduction in odds of myopia per additional hour a child spends outdoors per week. Maybe recess and outdoor PE wasn’t such a bad idea?
See what the National Institute of Health has to say here.