What we really can't lose sight of. Literally

The digital age has brought undeniable advances in communication, access to information and productivity. But there is a disturbing paradox in this progress: the more we advance, the more we risk losing sight of the essential. Literally. Our eye health has been put to the test by a lifestyle that seems to know no breaks or limits. We live surrounded by screens. We study, work, communicate through them and even in our leisure moments we continue to cling to them. But connectivity comes at a price that few are truly aware of paying. Just remember that vision provides a significantly greater amount of information about the environment compared to other senses, and is crucial for spatial orientation, object recognition and quick decision-making. For most daily activities, from navigation to social interaction, vision is the main source of sensory data, providing details about color, shape, movement and depth, which are essential for the complete perception of the environment*¹. Visual performance directly influences cognitive, motor, social and emotional performance. Therefore, an inefficient visual system compromises much more than we realize.
One of the most obvious challenges of the technological age is Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a condition resulting from prolonged use of digital devices. The symptoms – burning eyes, dry eyes, conjunctival hyperemia, temporary blurred vision, headaches – are now almost a natural extension of the daily lives of students and professionals. The reason is simple and disturbing: we blink less, strain more, and rarely rest. Even more disturbing is the increase in myopia among children and adolescents. The data is unequivocal and disturbing, associated not only with screens, but also with reduced exposure to natural sunlight. The blame does not lie with the devices themselves, but with the lack of balance: between the screen and the real world, between effort and rest, between artificial and natural light.
In Portugal, although the prevalence of myopia is still considerably lower than that observed in Asian countries – where it is estimated that around 80% of young people are currently myopic*² – the most recent data point to a worrying increase. A study published in 2024, which assessed more than a thousand children between the 5th and 9th years of schooling*³, identified a prevalence of myopia of 21.5%. Among these children, 34.6% did not use the most appropriate optical compensation and 26.4% did not use any type of compensation – a situation that not only compromises visual comfort, but can also accelerate the progression of myopia, jeopardizing long-term visual health and directly affecting academic and social performance. It is as if we accept that a significant part of the future generation will grow up seeing the world out of focus – and, this time, not just in the literal sense.
These data reflect a growing trend on a global scale, which could worsen in the coming decades if effective prevention and control measures are not adopted. The lack of early diagnosis and the scarcity of control strategies can accelerate the progression of myopia to severe forms – currently, around 10% to 20% of myopic individuals reach levels of high myopia*⁴, depending on the geographic region and level of education*⁵ -, with an increased risk of pathologies such as myopic degeneration, retinal detachment, glaucoma or even vision loss.
Unfortunately, the trivialization of diagnosis and the lack of awareness campaigns have contributed to a generalized undervaluing of the problem. It is urgent to incorporate visual health into public policies, school programs, and health literacy campaigns. Implementing structured visual screening programs can also be crucial, as can valuing primary visual health care. If we want to protect our vision, we need to regain time outdoors, rethink school and work habits, and adopt healthy visual routines, such as avoiding bringing objects closer than 30 centimeters from our eyes and the simple but effective 20-20-20 rule (which recommends that, for every 20 minutes of close-up visual effort, we look at something 20 feet away – about 6 meters – for 20 seconds). Early detection in childhood can change the course of a life, just as regular monitoring in old age can preserve independence. And for everyone else, there is the right to see the world – with clarity, comfort, and quality. Vision is not a luxury; It is a biological necessity. And taking care of it is, more than ever, an imperative. Because if there is something we cannot lose sight of, it is our own ability to see.
*¹ Goldstein, EB (2014). Sensation and Perception
*² Morgan, I.G., et al. (2022). China turns to school reform to control the myopia epidemic: A narrative review. Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology
*³ Nunes, A. (2024). Prevalence, sociodemographic risk factors, and coverage of myopia correction among adolescent students in the central region of Portugal, 24, Article number: 2490 *⁴ Morgan, IG, et al. (2022). China turns to school reform to control the myopia epidemic: A narrative review. Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology
*⁵ Zhang, J., et al. (2022). Prevalence of myopia: A large-scale population-based study among children and adolescents in Weifang, China. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 924566
The texts in this section reflect the personal opinions of the authors. They do not represent VISÃO nor do they reflect its editorial position.
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