Your mobile phone is not the culprit... Why is the number of people suffering from nearsightedness increasing around the world?
You've probably heard this phrase hundreds of times: the warning that staring at your phone for hours on end will cause you to lose your sight. You've probably heard this phrase hundreds of times: the warning that staring at your phone for hours on end will cause you to lose your sight. Since smartphones became an integral part of our daily lives, vision issues such as nearsightedness have been attributed to them.
Since smartphones became an integral part of our daily lives, vision issues such as nearsightedness have been attributed to them. And while we may think this makes sense—hours of staring at a screen, white light, colors, pixels...—it doesn't. And while we may think this makes sense—hours of staring at a screen, white light, colors, pixels...—it doesn't.
A recent study confirms this, revealing that nearsightedness is caused by insufficient light when focusing on nearby objects, rather than prolonged screen time. A recent study confirms this, revealing that nearsightedness is caused by insufficient light when focusing on nearby objects, rather than prolonged screen time. This study provides further insight into how the human eye functions and allows us to better understand why so many people suffer from nearsightedness or similar vision impairment.
When we look at a close object (not necessarily a phone, but a book or magazine, etc.), our pupils constrict, negatively affecting our vision. However, the drawback (as this study revealed) is that this effect is more pronounced in dimly lit environments, increasing the risk of developing myopia (nearsightedness).
In dimly lit indoor environments, the retina does not receive enough light, particularly the "light pathway" responsible for processing changes in brightness. In other words, the retina suffers from a constant lack of light, which stimulates abnormal eye growth, leading to nearsightedness.
The cause of myopia is still not entirely clear.
The research focuses on the eye's two main pathways. The first is the "ON" pathway, which is activated when light increases or something becomes brighter. The second is the "OF" pathway, which responds when light decreases. Previous research by experts has shown that people with myopia (nearsightedness) have a deficiency in the "ON" pathway. Now, this new research confirms that chronic light deprivation further weakens this pathway.
However, it's important to note that researchers haven't yet pinpointed the direct cause of myopia; rather, this research offers a way to better understand how the eye works and why the number of children with myopia is increasing. The research definitively confirms that the problem isn't looking at a mobile phone itself, but rather looking at it in the dark or at any other object in dim light.