New technologies and vision
We currently live in a digital age where we are constantly connected to our electronic devices. Using this technology has made life easier for people in a developed and ever-changing world, but the countless hours we spend in front of these devices (computers, cell phones, tablets, etc.) are beginning to cause serious concern for eye care professionals.
This relationship between electronic devices and vision is due to the demands placed on our eyes when we spend hours and hours in front of one of these devices, a visual demand they are not prepared for. Smaller devices like tablets and cell phones are the most worrying, as the short distance we hold them creates visual stress that often causes blurriness when looking from a distance.
According to a study conducted by "Visión y Vida" and presented to the EUROM1 general assembly in April 2018, six out of ten young Spaniards between the ages of 17 and 27 are myopic. These alarming figures force us to reconsider how to respond to this refractive error, myopia, which is becoming increasingly common, especially among young people.
Myopia is a refractive error in which images focus in front of the retina rather than on it. This imbalance causes difficulties with distance vision and can only be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. The most concerning aspect of myopia is that if it is high, it poses a risk of glaucoma and/or retinal detachment, two visual pathologies that can compromise vision.
For all these reasons, Chinese educational authorities have limited the use of electronic devices in schools. Myopia is a global phenomenon that is most prevalent in Asia and even more so in China; almost half of Chinese people suffer from it (WHO). According to a study published in the newspaper "Chinese schools turn off cell phones to combat myopia" in February 2019, the laws will limit the use of phones and tablets to 30% of school hours in primary and secondary school and will increase time for rest, sports, extracurricular activities, and other "eye-healthy exercises."