Thread by @opinion

It’s not just adults of a certain age complaining about their eyesight after more than a year of being glued to a:

💻 Laptop
🖥️ Desktop
📱 Mobile phone
📺 Large TV screen

Far more kids than before are coming in needing glasses, too trib.al/61PLLba

Myopia has been a growing concern during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among children.

➡️ A study showed myopia in children ages 6 to 13 increased by up to three times in 2020
➡️ On average, children were more shortsighted trib.al/SSRFzpX

Myopia is the most common ocular disorder and a leading cause of visual impairment in children.

It is estimated to affect 52% of the world population by 2050.

👓 If you don’t have glasses now, you probably will soon trib.al/SSRFzpX

The largest decrease in spherical equivalent refraction, used to measure myopia, was found in six-year-olds.

Since older children were exposed to longer hours of screen time, this suggests younger eyes are more sensitive trib.al/SSRFzpX

Since myopia increases the risk of serious and costly eye disorders, it has significant implications for poorer regions and the developing world.

High myopia can cause serious retinal damage that can lead to blindness trib.al/SSRFzpX

For policy makers and educators weighing hybrid and remote learning, the impact on eyesight has to be considered.

⛅ The @WHO says there is evidence that spending time outdoors can reduce myopia or delay its onset trib.al/SSRFzpX

Although pandemic store closures hurt eyewear sales, more people now needing glasses or changing prescriptions in the wake of Covid-19 should reverse that trib.al/SSRFzpX

Do you want to stay lens-free or keep your myopia from worsening? Optometrists are fond of the 20-20-20 rule:

Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away trib.al/SSRFzpX