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Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

economist.com

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Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#61

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

jart wrote: post #41
harshreality wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Myopia is a risk factor for floaters, retinal detachment, and glaucoma. It's objectively not neutral, despite that glasses exist. Glasses are also inconvenient, cost money, can be lost or broken, and don't cover the entire field of vision, and contacts have their own problems.

I can't believe you're serious. I wear glasses and there's nothing wrong with me. Last thing I want is to live in a world where I'm pressured to be genetically engineered for having the wrong kind of eyes.

I wear glasses and there's nothing wrong with me at the moment either, and I hope it keeps being that way, but the augmented risks mentioned by the GP are real and well-attested.

In fact, many ophtalmologists consider LASIK and their ilk to be cosmetic surgery, because it gets you rid of the glasses, but not of all the other consequences of myopia.

Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#62

Post by Nitramp »

XorNot wrote: post #38
rhinoceraptor wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

Wisdom teeth used to just be a problem that either killed you, or you lived with lots of pain from, or you paid a guy to try and do something about them. I don't know why people are so big on "we used to not need X in the distant past" tropes: yes we did, but we also just let lots of people die from it, or live a life of agony or being shunned as ugly/unclean/unable.

Crooked teeth really didn't exist in the farther out past. If you look at the jawbones of Neolithic people, they all have perfectly aligned teeth.

The theory is that we're not chewing hard enough food, which leads to insufficient jawbone growth as a kid, leading to not enough space for your teeth.

Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#64

Post by mattlondon »

I wonder if indoor lighting at the appropriate temperature would help prevent this?

In the UK we don't get a lot of sunlight in the winter months. It would be nice to know that we can turn on a "sun lamp" or whatever for homework time to help alleviate the issues.

Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#65

Post by silisili »

I feel like this has always been a rather obvious thing...for at least what nearly a century or more? The whole trope of glasses are for nerds. Kids who spend time reading a ton are nearsighted. I understood this in elementary school, when the only kids with glasses were the smart ones. (I hated reading, and did not wear glasses, so was not a 'smart one').

I became nearsighted not long after getting a home computer, for similar reasons. My father, an avid farmer and naturist, is farsighted. It seems pretty obvious your eyes adjust to whatever you spend all day looking at.

That all said, is it bad? Mine was cured with a rather cheap PRK procedure...and I sure wouldn't give up all I've learned for perfect natural eyesight.

Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#66

Post by lotsofpulp »

Aeolun wrote: post #60
lotsofpulp wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone thinks this, until they pop out a second one and there is no time or energy to do anything outside work, cook, clean, and all the baby/toddler tasks.

Huh? Walks outside with the toddler are the best. Stick him in either the stroller or bike seat and it’s the only time they sit still. Guess it’s a bit hard to combine with a baby <6 months, but eventually they should both fit.

It is rough if both parents are working. Lining up all the schedules and breastfeeding and whatnot is harder than it sounds, especially in northern (and southern) areas with less daylight hours. Just cooking and feeding and cleaning up after a picky toddler and baby learning how to eat can kill an evening. And then at least one is bound to be sick every other week if they are in day care…the list goes on for why plans have a low tendency to work out. See also mattlondon’s comment.

Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#68

Post by chronci2901 »

inglor_cz wrote: post #33
nilsbunger wrote: post #2

I didn’t realize the evidence is strong that daylight keeps kids from becoming near-sighted. Making young kids study all the time is killing their eyesight!

If we manage to have a kid, long walks everyday are planned :) More movement, less screen time is always good for health, parents' and kids' alike. Also, getting used to all sorts of weather improves the immune system. By spending too much time indoors we are becoming glasshouse flowers.

> By spending too much time indoors we are becoming glasshouse flowers.

Efficiency vs anti-fragility. Pick one, but not both.

Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#69

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

silisili wrote: post #65

I feel like this has always been a rather obvious thing...for at least what nearly a century or more? The whole trope of glasses are for nerds. Kids who spend time reading a ton are nearsighted. I understood this in elementary school, when the only kids with glasses were the smart ones. (I hated reading, and did not wear glasses, so was not a 'smart one'). I became nearsighted not long after getting a home computer,…

It was kind of common knowledge that something related to being a nerd was causing myopia, but I'd say most people assumed that the culprits were things like reading and screens, rather than being indoors.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Re: Shortsightedness has become an epidemic

#70

Post by silisili »

fillerInk wrote: post #23

Not just with light, spending more time indoors means kids don't have to focus their eyes on longer distances these days. There would be a correlation between the amount of time spent indoors during the formative years and the chances of becoming myopic in the future.

Agreed. My wife had no electricity for her child life, but is nearsighted... probably from reading books all the time as a kid. I don't believe that light has anything to do with it.
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