Excessive Phone Use Raises Risk of ‘Blindness Epidemic’ For GenZers

A leading eye surgeon warns that GenZers risk a nearsightedness epidemic due to prolonged phone use indoors.

The rates of nearsightedness, or myopia, have surged globally, increasing by 46% in the UK over the last three decades, with a staggering 59% spike in myopia among teenagers in the United States, as reported by the Daily Mail.

According to the reports, zoomers are increasingly at risk of severe vision issues, possibly leading to blindness, due to a lack of natural sunlight during puberty.

Renowned eye surgeon Dr. Joern Jorgensen from Laser Eye Clinic London cautioned that the situation for Gen Zers, born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s, will worsen due to insufficient dopamine.

Dopamine in the retina helps adjust vision for daylight conditions.

Being in the sun increases dopamine levels, but staying indoors reduces this vital neurotransmitter, which can result in serious eye problems. Additionally, spending too much time staring at devices up close may lead to myopia.

“During a critical time of their lives they are not getting natural sunlight and that in turn is causing a very noticeable rise in myopia. It is alarming and what we are seeing is an epidemic,” Jorgensen told the Daily Mail.

“Going outside in the daylight to play football, sports of any kind or just to play with friends causes a chemical process which releases dopamine,” he said.

“We know that it is an inhibitor to the type of growth in the eye which causes short-sightedness. The horizontal part of the eye lengthens and continues to grow, making it difficult to focus,” Jorgensen explained.

“We can encourage children to go outside and do more sports, but you can’t reverse what has already happened with social media playing such an important part in their lives,” he continued. “The second damaging factor is the amount of near work younger people are doing which is also damaging.”

He warned that myopia, if severe, can lead to blindness.

According to a 2022 Psychology Today report,  the COVID-19 pandemic, with children indoors and glued to screens, accelerated the global trend of deteriorating eyesight.

However, studies in California and Sydney, Australia, discovered that spending time outdoors significantly lowers the risk of nearsightedness.

Children are reportedly developing myopia earlier, with increased screen time and insufficient sunlight exposure being contributing factors, beyond genetic influences.

“We’re talking about [children who are] age 4 or 5 years old,” said Dr. Maria Liu, an associate professor of clinical optometry at The University of California, Berkeley.

The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, 40% of the global population will have nearsightedness. Holding screens too close reduces blinking, causing overcompensation during prolonged focus, leading to gradual changes in eyeball length and lens.

Studies reported by the Daily Mail reveal that serious cases of myopia in young people increase their risk of developing macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, by 41%.

“Treating AMD (age-related macular degeneration) is one of the biggest costs facing the NHS, it is a great drain on resources,” said Jorgensen.

“A single injection of Lucentis, which is used to treat AMD, is £1,000 and a patient needs to have it every month or risk blindness,” he said.

“Serious short-sightedness also dramatically increases the chances of developing other serious conditions such as glaucoma and retinal detachment,” the doctor added.

“It’s a very serious situation, we are seeing cases of high myopia 30 times more often and that triggers the four drivers of eye disease, cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and AMD.”

The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition found that 52% of children play outdoors less than their parents did during their own childhood.

“Due to changes in lifestyle, an increasing number of people are at a higher risk of developing sight-threatening conditions linked to myopia. This should no longer be considered a potential threat — it is very real,” said Jason Higginbotham, an optometrist.

“We want to put pressure on ministers to do something about it now. The younger therapy commences, the less likely that your child will be at risk of sight loss in the future. We need the government to act,” he said.

Professor Liu from UC-Berkeley recommends parents restrict screen time and encourage their kids to play outdoors as much as they can.

“They need to play with real toys,” Liu told NPR. “They need to engage in real outdoor life.”