One of the sacrifices made by the band of over-enthusiastic journalists here, who put in countless hours searching for juicy news, then writing and rewriting articles to get them, tasty and just right, is that we go blind most days. Just like our youth:
https://www.studyfinds.org/study-blames-disturbing-rise-in-teens-who-need-glasses-on-excessive-screen-time/
“According to the report released by United Kingdom-based eye care company Scrivens Opticians, the percentage of 13-16 year olds in the U.K. who need glasses has nearly doubled over the past seven years — from 20% in 2012 to 35% in 2018. Two-thirds of those teens were diagnosed as being myopic, or short-sighted. Researchers theorize that this significant increase in eye problems among young people is likely linked to excessive time spent staring at screens, which can lead to eye strain, shortsightedness, and blurred vision. In fact, the study also found that the average 13-16 year old spends around 26 hours per week staring at a smartphone, playing video games, or watching TV. Overall, optometrists from Scrivens say that much more research is needed to determine what all this screen time is really doing to teens’ eyes, especially in the long-term. “Children’s eyes continue to grow until early adulthood, and their vision is changing too,” comments Sheena Mangat, an optometrist with Scrivens, in a statement. “Because conditions such as short or long sightedness can happen gradually over time, neither children nor parents can ‘see the signs’, which is why regular eye checks are so important.” Additionally, the study found that it is no easy task for parents to pry their kids away from their screens; 73% of surveyed parents said it is a “challenge” to get their children to stop staring at some type of screen for a few hours.”
I remember when it was said that the environment does not cause short-sightedness, and I always thought that that could not be right. Turns out, it was right. Still, that does not do much for my failing sight, but I work on until darkness falls.