Staring at screen for prolonged period can make eyeballs elongated, reveals study

A new research study has revealed that spending more time on near objects like mobile phones, screens, laptops, could make eyeballs elongated and eventually lead to near-sightedness, called myopia.

Myopia is a condition where near objects appear clearly, while the distant ones are blurred.

The study, done by the American Academy of Optometry and American Academy of Ophthalmology, paints a worrying picture not only among adults, who have been spending more time on laptops—courtesy of 'work for home’— but also among children, whose eyeballs are still developing.

The situation is so dire that the American Academy of Optometry and American Academy of Ophthalmology are mulling to consider myopia an epidemic.

Laptops and mobile phones were already a constant companion during the pre-pandemic days, but the dramatic increase in the use of these electronic devices in recent months has been alarming, with the rise of e-learning and binge-watching.

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The ophthalmologists argue that the trouble with holding a screen close to one’s face isn’t about light shining into your eyes, rather it’s about the strain caused on the eye.

They say that while constantly staring at near objects, like phones and laptops, eyes blink far less when they’re focused so closely, forcing the pupil muscles to stretch. As a result, the eye lenses shift since they over-accommodate to constant close-distance tasks. 

Last spring, Chinese researchers tested over 120,000 Covid-quarantined students aged six to eight and found myopia and other vision issues linked to home confinement increased up to three times compared with the previous five years – that’s with as little as 2.5 more hours of e-learning, according to the Guardian.

(With inputs from agencies)