Why so many people need glasses now

[@Vox]

Every Tuesday in March, we’re talking about the human body - subscribe so you don’t miss out! Our first video about the special kind of fat that helps kids stay warm is out now. Watch it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKHGepKdlN-lps0

[@genuinerf4868]

Stop simping and blur would go away

[@InconsistentManner]

I am very glad you covered Retinal Detachment. But you didn't cover enough how that caught early enough it is easily repairable. You mentioned Singapore mandating eye exams at school. Even when you are an adult getting an eye exam annually is EXTREMELY IMPORTAINT.

[@kevcube]

Nty

[@TMM6900]

Dic?

[@G.F.SF55]

Would love if he explained Astigmatism just the same!

[@Brownyman]

“Homework causes health problems” is the phrase every school kid wants to hear LOL

[@turdattempt]

The truth has been spoken!

[@ConvictedFelon2024]

For real though, good teachers will maximize what their students learn _in_ class and minimize the amount of studying they have to do outside of class. This holds true for college too, although obviously not to the same degree.

[@professional.commentator]

Too much homework is legit abuse though. Those kids that grow up with too much homework usually end up becoming socially awkward since they don't usually get the chance to go outside and make friends.

[@theasianboy315]

You know what's more annoying? When it was about to in-semester holiday and the school spam homework in order to keep you busy during the holiday

[@fortnitetrashcan8308]

@@professional.commentator from 6-9th grade my school didnt give homework, the only homework we got was if we were falling behind

[@KaylaNoelle1]

I was really near sighted in my early 20s so last year I got laser eye surgery and honestly sometimes I still get emotional about it. My vision ended up even better than 20/20 and I honestly wasn’t prepared for how good it would be. The day after my surgery I woke up and looked out the window and saw the leaves fluttering around on a tree that was blocks away and I just cried. Good vision is such a precious thing.

[@keyboardcockatoo4567]

awh im so happy for you. that sounds so nice to experience. if you don’t mind me asking, what type of laser eye surgery was it?

[@swiftiekitty.]

I'm afraid of LASIK side effects

[@TroublezAhead00]

Yes, please do tell us why kind of laser eye surgery it was? And have you had any issues?

[@flippetskater]

I had LASIK in my early 20s, and I still think it's the best thing I've ever done. That said, I'm now 49, and I've had to wear glasses for about a year, now (and drugstore readers for a bit before that), just due to normal aging, I guess. It's frustrating to not be able to see either close up, or far away without them, especially after not needing glasses for so long. But it was still SO worth it.

[@KaylaNoelle1]

@@keyboardcockatoo4567 Thank you! It really has been wonderful! I got advanced custom wavefront LASIK. It was more expensive but it was so precise that the extra money was more than worth it!

[@petiteetoile8376]

I wore glasses from the time I was 9 to 24. I'll NEVER forget coming out of that surgery and immediately I could see everything around me with crystal clear clarity

[@dana6598]

Really happy for you! Would you mind saying what your prescription was and what surgery you got done? I'm nearsighted and I've got astigmatism & currently looking for solutions

[@EmperorStyleMilim]

@@dana6598it’s probably lasik

[@Funkteon]

​@@dana6598I was a -8.25 diopter, and I had LASIK ten years ago and I can still see perfectly...

[@cloudpopfluff]

ive been wearing glasses for like 6 years now and man I can't wait until I can get to do eye surgery. but honestly I'm scared of doing it.

[@EmperorStyleMilim]

@@cloudpopfluff must feel terrible I only wear glasses when I need to read something

[@SushiPat]

Australian optometrist here. Mark Bullimore is a big dog in the field, so you definitely found the right guy to interview. Very well explained and of course some simplifications but much less errors/myths than other videos on the subject.

[@rph8704]

I had laser eye surgery in my late 20s. Can I develop myopia again if I have bad habits like being indoors too much and spending too much time staring at a screen?

[@bullers2020]

Thanks for the shout out 🙂

[@KPHothi]

@@rph8704 Despite getting laser eye surgery, you can still always develop refractive errors later in life

[@yaeli_i_guess]

can you give examples of some common myths in this area? im curious

[@takanoritoriyama]

@@rph8704 almost dead set on getting laser eye surgery done. would love a video on this topic

[@vicckyyy2001]

I spent 75% of my childhood outdoors, and my vision was 20/20. In high school I started spending more time indoors, doing my homework/studying on a laptop. Within 2 years of being in high school, I needed glasses.

[@shea6553]

I'm exactly the same, I spent so much time outside as a child and then I started my computer science degree, now 3 years later I need glasses.

[@vicckyyy2001]

@@shea6553 I think it's like that with a lot of people 😁😅 I'm so, so glad I spent all that time outdoors instead of behind a screen like most kids nowadays

[@junjunjamore7735]

I've spend 80% of my time indoors since middle school and my vision is still perfect.

[@Itsgyro]

Dude samee

[@vicckyyy2001]

@@junjunjamore7735 maybe my issue was because the rapid change from being outdoors all the time to being indoors most of the time? I don't know 😂

[@GypsyVictorious]

I was severely myopic since birth(-28, -30) and when surgery finally became available for someone like me, i had never felt such joy. 36 years being legally blind and bow i can even drive if i want to!

[@lisabrightly]

Wow! I'm -3.25 and -3.0. yours is so much higher, I can't even imagine that! Bless you.

[@caralho5237]

Your eye is almost 2 dimensional at this point

[@Symbiote-hq6pn]

What surgery did you receive?? I’m -25

[@VITAS874]

Not get blind? I read about eye get degre after it...

[@wackousersden4726]

Vox never ceases to amaze me as to how they can cram in useful and important information in such a short little video .

[@SomeKidFromBritain]

Simp

[@laurenconrad1799]

YES! ❤

[@SomeKidFromBritain]

@elfrjz Its not access, its kids spending far too much time indoors studying!

[@SomeKidFromBritain]

@elfrjz Prevention is better than a cure, watch the video.

[@SomeKidFromBritain]

@elfrjzNah, asian academics need reformed, much of it is pointless rote memorisation anyway. Thats a social issue anyway, you could study outside!

[@thirtycats]

Kudos for not trying to blame it all on recreational screen-time. The parents I know who fret about screen-time… the sedentary aspects, the indoor aspects…. I’ve never heard them complain about kids sitting at school, reading books indoors, playing board games indoors, etc.

[@SheepWaveMeByeBye]

We do exist. It was more common one or two generations ago, though. "Why are you sitting in here loafing about, go out and play!" was a common thing for mothers to say.

[@abstract5249]

@@SheepWaveMeByeBye I heard people used to get made fun of for reading books. They'd get called a nerd or geek. Heck, even Socrates opposed books because they eliminated the necessity to memorize information, which he believed made us dumber (the same way people today oppose smartphones for the same reason).

[@borissand3891]

Don't forget that optomtrists are incentivised to over-prescribe glasses for more profit.

[@Arshjot]

thats what my eye doctor told me, it happens because of screen time

[@gqbbyy]

I got eye problems from prolonged screen exposure in 2020 though and I was just 12

[@fuyuseetaa]

This video feels like a wake-up call because it's been a couple years since my last eye exam, but I seem to remember them saying my myopia was around 9-11 and learning that just 5 puts you at increased risk of complications is terrifying. I'm probably overdue for an eye exam so I think I'm going to look into getting that done some time soon... it's scarier since I'm over 25, meaning my myopia is fully developed and pretty much irreversible.

[@ttt5020]

-9.5 here- the shape isn't reversable, but the symptoms can be! I wear contacts only, and while people like us don't have enough cornea to burn for Lasik, you can get contact insert surgery

[@joelrebollar7055]

I would've spent more time outdoors as a kid if my parents weren't so overprotective in my childhood

[@ericearnestjr]

Yeah same (outfit) with me

[@lebronjohnson6735]

90s kid?

[@liam4184]

@@lebronjohnson6735 I'm a 90s kid, and my parents let me go pretty much anywhere I wanted, as long as I was with a friend or sibling. I can imagine people being a lot more worried about that now days.

[@sweetestaphrodite]

@@lebronjohnson6735 that makes no sense.

[@perpetualcollapse]

Amen to that brother

[@jkpfmt]

Optometrist here. Loved how this was packaged and presented! Thanks for bringing exposure to this.

[@archstanton_live]

@Zaydan Alfariz, wait until you get older. Then you can have cataract surgery

[@rph8704]

I had laser eye surgery in my late 20s. Can I develop myopia again if I have bad habits like being indoors or staring at screens?

[@jkpfmt]

​@rph8704 your distance prescription is unlikely to shift at this point. But once you get into your early- to mid-40s you will unfortunately need reading glasses! Still, will recommend taking adequate breaks from screens so you don't develop eyestrain or headaches :)

[@jkpfmt]

​@elfrjzthank you for your question! Unfortunately, while LASIK is a good option for giving you independence from glasses by reshaping your cornea (the front of your eye), it does not correct the axial length elongation (eyeball length growing) that the video alludes to. This means that the higher risk of developing retinal detachments, myopic degeneration, and glaucoma remain higher. There's no cure or reversing that process, so the best thing we can do is preventing it in the first place with myopia control. Children need regular eye exams even if they can seemingly see well enough! I also like to recommend to my patients to get their children 90 mins to 2 hrs of outdoor exposure daily.

[@jkpfmt]

@@user-kr6jg6qb7l that's bait.

[@saradeanna]

I'm 42 years old and have always spent most of my time indoors with tv and video games and my vision is still at least 20/20. Both of my parents started wearing glasses when they were younger than I am now. I consider myself extremely lucky at this point as nearly everyone I know who is my age and older needs their vision corrected somehow.

[@Marco_Onyxheart]

I'm 30 and I've got a similar deal. Although my vision isn't quite 20/20. I have a very slight astigmatism. It's less than 1. Just enough that I need glasses if I'm very tired. But without glasses, I do see better than most people even if they are wearing their glasses.

[@marcusmiro7481]

I'm 36 and in the same boat. My parents had to use glasses from their 20's. I used to be paranoid I was adopted and this was one of the reasons for it lol. But yeah exact same deal. Did everything wrong and my vision is mostly unchanged. The only difference these days appears to be that I get eye strain faster than when I was young. I imagine we just got genetically very lucky in this regard.

[@Buttercup697]

I had perfect vision until I turned 42... went downhill from there! 🤣🤣😭😭😭

[@johnkeyberg3476]

Both of my parents and my two sisters wear glasses to read. I'm the only one with perfect vision. I probably spend more time indoors in the dark in front of a computer than 99.99% of humanity. I detest bright light of any kind, and actively avoid sunlight in particular. Guess I just got lucky, but I'm only 27, so time will tell.

[@DroogyParade]

I’m 32 and I’m the same. I read a lot growing up too. My eye doctor recently downgraded my eyesight a little bit, but it was mainly because I got a chemical in my eye. So even with a chemical burn that caused a retinal ulcer i have better vision than most people. Thankfully it was able to heal, so I’m nearly back to normal.

[@pedromontoya6439]

Some of us are “doomed” from the start. I basically lived outside during my childhood and still ride my bicycle to and from work throughout the year. I was diagnosed with myopia as a child and currently sport glasses just shy of -8 for each eye as a 50+ year old. 😢 And great video!

[@CanadaCrazy]

so right there it cant be an inside/outside thing

[@The-e]

Yeah I had a fairly active lifestyle as a kid and spent a good amount of time outside, however I am in my late teens with an average prescription strength of 6.25 and even then my family has a history of terrible vision anyway

[@FireSurge]

Same here. In my own comment I also noted that I've spent the past 5 years of my adult life in front of a screen more or less. My prescription actually got better, go figure.

[@Mike-er2ih]

@Bruno B. Bigdongzhong Genetics are just brutal. I have a sister. While I have a high myopia she has perfect sight. On the other hand she constantly has teeth problems while I'm always good when visiting dentist every year with minimal efforts.

[@decus9544]

If it makes you feel any better, I was at -8.75 by 28 ;D I did to be fair spend the vast majority of my time in front of a computer screen for most of my life however. I say all this in the past tense because I recently got laser eye surgery.

[@weizhanghao5126]

I am a student suffering from myopia in Singapore. Even though the ministry of education has mandated 2 hours of physical lesson every week and has begun encouraging students to go outdoors, I still believe far too less is being done. More than half of my classmates wear glasses now. Myopia is more than an inconvenience. Hopefully all stakeholders can step in and help to prevent it in children and teenagers who do not yet know the seriousness of myopia. Thank you Vox for shining light on this issue!

[@islowclick]

It's also the capital of myopia

[@chelseax6184]

😅😅😅

[@that_dam_baka]

Do your classrooms have direct sunlight? If it's about brightness, classrooms that utilizes natural sunlight would be slightly better.

[@ivanttosuckyourblood]

Singaporean here. Back in the 80s, I would say about < 1/4 of my classmates are myopic. We played sports. Video games was in its infancy.

[@nombre1248]

Interventions can be made with Opthalmologist guidance

[@dehn6581]

In a recent conversation with my optician, we discussed how it was interested that both of my daughters are also far-sighted like I am, but neither of my sons are. We were given advice similar to this on how to help them not develop myopia: hour+ outside a day, limit 'close work' in the evening and how close they put any books or devices.

[@cathdaws3396]

No joke, I had better than perfect 20/20 vision when I was a teen and all the way through uni but came out of the pandemic needing glasses. Couldn't leave the house and working from home for 1.5 years. I didn't even notice I needed glasses until I tried someone elses

[@masssssy]

"I didn't even notice I needed glasses until I tried someone elses" - So in the past with less awareness you might not have got them. Thus not been into the stats "I had better than perfect 20/20 vision when I was a teen and all the way through uni but came out of the pandemic needing glasses" - Convieniently at the age that most people develops these issues. Don't mix up cause and action. This morning I drank water and at lunch I slipped and fell. Don't drink water.

[@buddyclem7328]

@@masssssy A perfect example that correlation is not necessarily causation.

[@bluebird6533]

Same thing happened to me!! I never needed glasses until after the pandemic

[@ciprianrobo]

20/20 is not considered perfect vision btw

[@SomeSortOfWay]

Nah you just getting old.

[@jonaskanwald9162]

Imagining lives of people with vision problems in a far past freaks me out I cant live without my glasses

[@holup977]

@Zaydan Alfariz was myopia not prevalent or we couldn't test people for it on a large enough scale, I have no idea but I suspect it to be the latter.

[@MadsterV]

no reading, no phones, no computers..... you probably didn't know or cared unless it was really really bad

[@mypantsarefilledwithbeans6508]

You are thinking of hyperopia, which would impact ability to read. It’s myopia that’s rising, which is when things far away are blurry. Being unable to recognize faces or see threats at a distance would have been awful.

[@falsemcnuggethope]

@elfrjz maybe it wasn't that prevalent because people with it didn't live long enough to become numerous. Kinda like allergies.

[@jojodroid31]

When living in the far past, I bet myopia wasn't your biggest problem.

[@meatsuitsublimator8506]

I'm high myopic (-7.00/-7.50) and I spent a good deal of time outdoors as a child. And it doesn't seem to come down to my genetics as no one else in my family has such a significant need for vision correction. I used to work as an optician and I have to say that a policy is in place in most commercial optical shops to put glasses on every face that walks in the door. I think that in the past some people with moderate myopia were simply unaware of how bad their vision actually was but the prevalence of big optical chains and cheaper glasses has skewed the numbers a little. Off topic, but anyone interested should look into the mark-up that optical shops place on materials. Those $300 glasses on your face probably cost around $20 wholesale, often less than that. And those coatings and "UV filters" added are pennies if they even exist at all.

[@theblackswordsman9951]

This is a very good point. Many just may have not thought they needed them or not had access

[@userre85]

Luxotixa

[@Amy-mo5xb]

As someone whose vision has changed yearly for the past 15 years, I know how expensive glasses are. But I still need them 😭😭

[@lajohnson1967]

It’s a nutritional deficiency that’s why.

[@MajorMerino]

It’s actually the opposite for me, I spent a lot of time indoors growing up and one of my parents is myopic yet I’ve got 20/20 vision. Although past around 15 I ended up spending a lot more time outdoors

[@jm5390]

As someone who’s dealt with myopia my entire life (currently -8.5), I can’t imagine not being nearsighted and am so jealous of people with normal or almost normal vision (prescriptions between -3 to +3).

[@decadewgame9802]

but people with -1 to -3 also have wear glasses constant

[@funkgoeson5]

Same man same number on my left. On my right it's -8.0

[@funkgoeson5]

How old are you though? I'm 21, does it get worse?

[@jm5390]

@@funkgoeson5 I'm 33 and have dealt with this since I was a little toddler. I don't remember not being able to see. Luckily it's held steady for years and hasn't changed much at all since high school.

[@순두부찌개한개]

Don't be jealous😂 even with "mild" myopia 1.5 I still can't see within my house or watch tv😢 I actually need glasses as much as you do. Its bec i devepoped myopia later so itis very hard to suddenoy not see well when i was used to seeing well. I don't like it. I miss when I had better vision. I cant even go on a walk outside without my glasses now or I could fell and hurt myself 😅 totally stuck to be any level of myopic.

[@Uncharted95]

I remember the day my vision went from 20/20 to slightly near-sighted. I can still see without glasses but there is a slight blur when looking in the distance but nothing serious. I can't say I'm surprised as I spent a lot of time playing games and browsing the internet growing up at the time when technology really took off. While I did play outside as a kid too, I guess it wasn't enough 😅.

[@universalsoldier811]

I had 20/20 vision when I was 19 years old. Now I'm 23 and bit near-sighted. Maybe pandemic made me spend more screen time and lifestyle changed after corona pandemic. Bro, please can you share when you experienced slight near-sightedness. Like what age??

[@Uncharted95]

@@universalsoldier811 It happened 8 years ago so I was 20.

[@TreesPlease42]

These things are complicated, don't blame yourself for it. Imo become an advocate for recess and stretching breaks.

[@universalsoldier811]

@@Uncharted95 and it remained same over these 8 years. Or it got worse?

[@wiktorjachyra1869]

Me too but I'm not sure how that makes any sense for me because the time I needed glasses I was spending more time outside than ever.....now my prescription hasn't changed in about 4 years and I've been using more technology than ever

[@MillanK42]

(19y) I spent the entire covid period and this winter indoors mostly at the computer, I developed weak myopia, but by spending more hours outside, especially at vantage points where you can look into the distance, my vision improved so much that it is almost unrecognizable from a healthy eye . if it is caught in the beginning, it can probably be corrected by changing the lifestyle.

[@TGIies]

Same here bro. May i know how many hours did you spent looking at long distances

[@humanwithaplaylist]

Covid is ongoing

[@bari3108]

As someone who developed myopia at 6 years old and now, at 23 years old, my myopia is -11 and -9.5, this video is both interesting and terrifying.

[@theblackswordsman9951]

Wow that is bad. Mine was around like -4 before i had laser eye surgery and i thought that was bad.

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

@@theblackswordsman9951 -4 is nothing. I've had women preface their description of their diopters by "it's really bad" only to say it's -3. I'd punch kittens for that at -12. The -12 isn't even the bad part. Glasses I can live with. It's those other more insidious long term maladies that come with it. Needing glasses is the most immediate consequence but among the least important.

[@theblackswordsman9951]

@@DKNguyen3.1415 -12 must be like blind without glasses then, because for me if something was a foot away from me it would be blured and at a distance i couldn't tell people apart by face.

[@Lukisan_Mui]

I know that feel 😢

[@ladybookworms]

I was in your situation then I got Lasik and I'm terrified now because it's starting to get bad again after the pandemic.

[@arnoldmbuthia2687]

When I was 12, I asked my mother to take me to an optician, and she refused. Over the years up to until I was 15, my sight deteriorated sharply. I had to beg and cry because I wasn't seeing anything in class. Only then did I get prescription glasses. At -5.25.

[@zzhoward]

Your mother sounds awful. Condolences

[@KrishnaWashburn]

That happened to me, too. Only difference was that I was six.

[@Thekingxhesi]

@@zzhoward Even if his mother got him the glasses earlier, it wouldn't have changed anything because his lifestyle remained the same.

[@confushisushi]

@@Thekingxhesi Wouldn't have changed anything? I don't know if I would call being able to see in the interim nothing.

[@zzhoward]

@@Thekingxhesi Understood, but I am commenting on the fact that his mother refused to listen to her son's concerns and dismissed them for years, letting him struggle on pointlessly. She is not a good parent. Any normal parent would want to help their child out any way they could if they were experiencing issues.

[@ujjawal1003]

I started wearing glasses when I was 9 and my vision got worse year after year, but it stabilized when I reached 17. For me, the biggest reason was spending too much time on computers and living in a dim environment throughout the day. Nowadays my work Mostly revolves around Computers and Electronic devices and to tackle the same I have taken a couple of steps, the best one is keeping my desktop by the window so that I am constantly focusing afar and getting Natural light. I have grown to value good vision and wish to have the same through LASIK in a couple of months.

[@thawzin2892]

I got myopia when I was 16. Now I'm 21 and every time I went to the Ophthalmologist, my near-sightedness worsened. And this explained a lot, I always live in my home life in which I only stay in a very calm area or room that is mostly darker and always use a phone or tablet or reading books. Thanks to this video, I could change my routine (otherwise I'm definitely going to have some kind of disease later in my life). So thank you so much Vox.

[@sonithkumar5832]

It should stop worsening at about 21-22. I started getting nearsighted at the age of 8-9, it got stable at about 17-18. The Doctors said I could opt for LASIK after 22 because the eyesight tend to stablise past that age.

[@blomegoog]

you also have to be careful of your eye doctor. some will annually Rx stronger and stronger corrective lens and that will make your myopia progress rapidly. I experienced this. I stopped going to that MD and then found a OD that actually knew to keep my Rx at a minimum and my myopia stabilized the rest of my adult life. conspiracy? maybe. be careful out there. 👁

[@AT-oh3yy]

No surprise if the optometrist was sold the idea that gene contribute to the eye sight deteriorating issue. Always a quick fix by the idealogy of "everything can be solve with money" but not the underlying issue of discussed in the video

[@lepark724]

Not to mention, ophthalmologists usually aren’t too focused on refractions like optometrists are

[@SalmanKhan-pk5wo]

You most likely have keratoconus. Most opticians miss out on it because they don't own the $100,000+ Corneal Topography machine that can diagnose it. Please get screened for it and it can even lead to blindness.

[@WheezyE]

I’m an Optometrist. Thank you for this great presentation. People don’t seem to know about the light level impact on myopia, so I appreciate you getting the word out!

[@almond3963]

I'm really young and have high myopia. I'm really scared. idk how bad my life is going to be affected because of this.

[@GT-tj1qg]

​@@almond3963 No need to panic. Just because myopia increases the chances of some other conditions, it does not mean you are guaranteed or even likely to have those conditions. And there may be some people with 20/20 vision who do get those conditions. Just take reasonable measures to maintain eye health and if there will be any bridges to cross, you'll cross them when you come to them.

[@mixey01]

Used to love reading in my room an watching television as a kid. My grandma knew all a long this would be bad for my vision and encouraged me to spend more time outdoors to prevent it.

[@straighttothedisco]

I never knew the eye had dopamine receptors. When I heard dopamine was involved, I looked up if there was a connection to ADHD (i have it and it is a dopamine disorder) and I saw there are studies beginning to look into the overlap. Fascinating how important dopamine is and how far neurological science has progressed to see these links.

[@satyre_1]

Yes!!! ADHD, what more must you take away from my life?!!! 😭😭😭😭😭

[@Alexander-yb1zc]

Wait you kidding right ???? I've just started ADHD meds

[@kenya1067]

😮😮😮 I have OCD and I believe that causes a dopamine lack and I've been wonder about ADHD but it may be another overlap. Whoa 😮

[@cheeesysandwich]

yeah i immediately thought about that too when i heard dopamine was involved. thanks adhd ughhh

[@thesupergreenjudy]

Weird, I have ADHD and near 20/20 vision

[@BTCBlizzy]

1:38 “something about the way we live today is making it harder and harder for people to see at a distance.” - ironically this could an accurate metaphorical observation too.

[@andybaldman]

Well said

[@kidconsumer2411]

thats a good one.

[@RoseInTheWeeds]

I doubt people truly looked that far ahead in the past, just wishful thinking that we weren't like this at some point.

[@CraftyF0X]

I thought the same.

[@SDDaniela_S]

This video was very eye-opening and put into perspective and added the science behind a trend that we have seen as a society. We are seeing more and more people wearing glasses or complaining that their eyesight is getting worse as time is passing. What was usually an issue of getting old is now seen in the younger population where you can go up to undergrad students and a lot of them would talk about how their eyesight is getting worse. I like how this video first explains the science behind this trend by explaining that more and more people are experiencing myopia, in which people are having a smaller range of distance of what they can see in front of them. The video concludes that myopia rates are getting higher because we are spending more time doing a task that requires our eyesight to be focused on something too close for an extended amount of time. This can be seen with students who use a computer or book to study for school. Another reason that it was thought to be behind the rise of myopia rates was that we are spending less time outdoors which increases the probability of developing myopia in the future. In the video it was highlighted that some countries like Asia have very high rates of myopia especially the kid population which was attributed to Asia’s emphasis on education and minimize emphasis on being outdoors. When this was mentioned, it made me think about the ethical point of children's autonomy and if it was being respected and thought about in this case. Just because it thought that education should be of the highest importance in a child’s life it is not ethically correct to put that above the health of a child. Just because the children do not have full autonomy there should be a clear understanding of the importance to have the kid's best interest at hand this means seeing children as a whole person that needs to have a good balance between education and just being a child with time for playing around. Another ethical point that this video made me think about is how the healthcare system was helping with this trend of increased myopia especially in underserved populations as getting eyecare and even more so getting glasses can be a financial burden that underserved populations might not have the resources to deal with. It might come down to getting glasses or being able to afford that month's rent. If myopia is becoming a bigger issue the healthcare system needs to find and support more action to help bridge the gap between eyecare in underserved communities.

[@mgz_5482]

A child’s brain is not developed enough to do right choices yet. It needs some sort of guidance to be able to make important decisions and parents are there to guide. Obviously if there’s certain situations that a child’s health would be seriously affected due to certain activities then there should be changes to minimize the impact on health. But that doesn’t mean a child is able to make independent decisions due the undeveloped brain and needs guidance.

[@iamsopure]

Is there a way to reverse this by going outside and looking at distant objects more??

[@SirEpsilonn]

I'm surprised that my vision is still perfect. I have basically spent the last 10 years indoors behind a computer screen , and when I was "outside" the time was spent in classes at school. Both my mother and father wear glasses and started needing them well before they were 21 (my current age). Maybe I got lucky? Or maybe in 10 years it's going to happen to me too. I did spend a lot of time outdoors when I was a young kid though.

[@Humulator]

If you spent a lot of time outdoors, that may have mitigated that. I'm no expert though.

[@littlebitofhope1489]

You got lucky. Enjoy it while you can.

[@TunaPetunia456]

My brother is 21 and I'm turning 20 soon and we never needed glasses as well cause growing up we stayed outside most of the time (our mother sorta has poor vision herself). But around the early 2010's we started to stay more and more inside, especially me. So yeah maybe some people will be lucky for quite some time until the inevitable happens or not at all.

[@MusicU-zg8yv]

I spent a lot of time outdoors until about age 10, that didn't help me though unfortunately

[@MadsterV]

you're still young and have youth superpowers! enjoy the next 10 years, after which those superpowers go away and things start slowly degrading

[@ray__d]

I developed myopia during the height of the pandemic when everything became online. I miss my 20/20 vision everyday. 😥

[@kr1sh_gupta]

Same

[@CleverCheetah]

You could still go outside don’t blame it on a pandemic people were still partying out during it 😂 no excuses

[@toocleanpappas5397]

As a Thru-hiker I will say that after a 6 month hike my vision gets better. I am generally near sighted. In urban life I constantly am looking at close up things (computer, phone) but on trail I am constantly looking at a distance. The change goes back and forth between hikes.

[@armwatches247]

I WISH I KNEW ABOUT THIS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER 😭😭I've asked multiple eye doctors about why I'm becoming myopic all of a sudden and they just said it's "genetics" and "just wear glasses" for that. But as a kid who had a really good vision I used to be proud of, began growing myopic during my 15th year and my indoor time spent in a dark bedroom during that time has a huge correlation! I am glad that I finally know why. And yea, my eyesight remains stable for the past 4-5 years and am still using the same glasses.

[@prodipayan]

Same for me. I was fifteen when I was diagnosed with myopia.

[@ridwanarifien1628]

Seriously, your doctor said that?

[@armwatches247]

@@ridwanarifien1628 Yea right, wish they just cared more to give the right advice.

[@0976532123468]

It's not too late to change and reverse, spend a few hours researching Jake Steiner and endmyopia. :)

[@IlIlIlIlIlIlIllIlIII]

Your eye doctors were absolutely correct and the fact that you trust a Vox video more than them is concerning. The onset of myopia is most common between the age of 12-16 and it's highly genetic, no matter the living habits.

[@christoforospapandreou]

Started wearing glasses at around 9 years old and when I got to 19 my myopia was stabilized at -5 in my one eye and -6 in my other. I could barely see anything without my glasses so I had lasik surgery. I'm now 21 and I can definitely say that life is much easier without glasses

[@asphyxia7784]

In my childhood I did play outdoors and had good vision. During highschool though once I started spending more time indoors and constantly use a phone or laptop for work my vision started to deteriorate. I had to get glasses by 18 yrs old. Now I'm 22 and this video just proved my theory of why my vision started going bad 😞 Great video

[@itzdave1249]

What is ur perscription?

[@Sjalabais]

I just love how you tend to end on a positive note, whatever the topic. We need that. Our societies are learning and progressing, despite sometimes feeling otherwise.

[@lukehalmrast7366]

considering that spending time indoors a lot is a major factor in myopia, then that means that North American car dependent and depressing suburbs with zero sidewalks or any accommodation for anything outside a car is the main factor here. Kids that live in suburbs don't go outside because they live in the most depressing desolate place so they stay inside all day playing video games or whatever. This also makes sense when rates of myopia started rising a lot in the 1970's since that was when Canada & the US were rapidly expanding the car dependent suburbs

[@Saturnium_]

I've always had perfect vision growing up, but I suddenly had to start wearing glasses at age 19. Now I can't see much at all without my glasses. I used to spend more time outside, but a modern lifestyle doesn't allow for so much of it anymore. There was a noticeable difference in my vision coinciding with the switch to a more indoor, sedentary, and studious lifestyle.

[@Cabochon1360]

Now, this was educational. Even though I've been myopic for well over half a century, I never knew about the added risks for serious problems like retinal detachment, or the connection to getting enough sunlight.

[@JowanaBueser]

Fifteen years as a social media manager and, thankfully, still has no need for glasses. I do wear anti-rad glasses for protection and spend time outside. Didn't know that was helpful until I watched this. Great video, as always!

[@Beepbooops78]

I have high myopia -10, most of my cousins and siblings do too. I’ve researched high myopia and found that the 2 biggest correlates are looking at things close by like books or smartphones, and educational level. I spent a lot of time indoors as a child, watching tv or playing computer games. And I’ve been in university for 7 years, which makes sense.

[@geraniaceae4470]

Me and my sibs are all around -11.00. Our myopia is 100% genetic, a gift from our father.

[@gamingboss9074]

im 16 and at -9

[@dukes1993724]

@@geraniaceae4470 You know, he gave you another gift as well. The most important gift of them all (the gift of life).

[@starosity]

is there a fix for this?

[@YachtyBurner]

@@geraniaceae4470 -11 glasses or -11 contacts?

[@mjy87]

I love reading as a kid and would almost always be doing near work, but because I grew up in a rural area with rotating blackouts, I often had to read outside, in daylight, to save on energy. My eyesight was 20/20 until I got working in front of computers when I slowly became myopic. During the pandemic, when I had to stay indoors almost all the time, my vision became even worse and I had to change glasses in a span of a year. I attributed it to age and mere computer work but this video made me realize that it's also about spending so much time indoors. Thanks to this video, maybe I can slow down the progress of my myopia or at least have a better quality of life by spending more time outside.

[@firstcaptainarenoskarlaen7103]

It all makes sense now. In college where the rooms were shaded and cool I startee having eye problems.

[@darpan-l6o]

Me watching with my glasses on

[@WinterWitch01]

Me squinting, because I’m laying down and can’t wear mine 😂

[@vanessa-vu3uf]

🤣🤣

[@FrosstKatt]

same

[@JeoshuaCollins]

You and like 80% of Asia and almost 50% of America, so it would seem. Oh, and me. 👓

[@yatuiig]

Dont. Only wear it when you need it and put the screen farther away

[@arthurdurham]

I sometimes feel like a freak of nature for being an adult with essentially having 20/20 vision. Like it's a mutant power that I am just able to "see" all the time without accessories. Because almost everyone I know wears glasses/contacts or just deals with blurry vision. If mine is ever blurry it's due to another short term issue like a migraine or allergies. *EDIT:* Don't be too jealous, I guess I traded near perfect vision for horrible sinuses. I'm jealous of everyone who doesn't get winded going up a flight of stairs bc they can breathe through their noses lol

[@XGDragon]

Can you summarize your youth? With respect to time spent indoors and near-work?

[@ramiqcom]

Same bruh, almost all my friend are wearing glasses. I fell so lucky to have good eye.

[@sirsluginston]

Same, I work in manufacturing and part of the pre-employment physical included a sight and hearing test, and the doctor was almost stunned as I completed the eye chart... She kept insisting that I was wearing contacts without telling them, because "Kids cant see these days without them"

[@nickirkland1347]

I have 20/20 vision until i was 19 and it was already better than most people with similar lifestyle as mine 😭 I'm sad but also feels kinda deserved lol. I can't live without screen since i write and draw digitally, and i do all my college assignment on a computer. It's impossible to stay 20/20 for me and I've accepted it

[@universalsoldier811]

@@nickirkland1347 I also had 20/20 vision when I was 18 years old. Now, I'm 23 and bit myopic due to corona pandemic made me spend me more time indoors using mobile screens. Still I don't use glasses. I wish there's good prevention of this till adulthood

[@MorganThaGorgan]

Explains why my vision tanked in High School and College

[@otiebrown9999]

All ODs know this is certain to happen.

[@daroldfuapse]

A few years ago I worked as a substitute teacher in schools over 100 years old. The architects of those buildings probably thought they were benefiting students by giving them enormous windows to flood the classrooms with sunlight. But in every classroom the shades were closed tight and when I'd raise them, clouds of dust would fly off and the students would recoil like molemen and scream for me to lower them again. I'd ask them, "Don't you ever go outside and see the sun?"

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

I seem to recall reading that for most of the 1900s public education experts strongly believed children needed to have high levels of natural light in order to learn. Most elementary schools still seem to be designed with huge windows, but a lot of junior high and high schools have very few windows.

[@Kira_Martel]

@@aliannarodriguez1581 It was definitely true for me. I did so much better in classrooms with lots of natural light. It was easier to focus and I had better recall of information. In dimly lit classrooms, the buzz and flicker of the fluorescent lights alone was sensorily exhausting. Plus lower light made me feel groggier.

[@yoppindia]

There was no light bulbs and electricity back then.

[@zoyadulzura7490]

In some countries, it's standard to build schools with massive windows lining two sides of the classroom, so that the kids get plenty of natural light. Places where it's common for classrooms to be windowless or for shades to be drawn all the times are hurting those students.

[@ishitasingh5162]

Atleast movies won't make makeover scenes where glasses are uncool cuz everyone is wearing em😂👓

[@Sunny.27]

Nowadays cool people in movies and shows wear glasses xd

[@mariamart_0]

@@Sunny.27 nowadays wearing glasses shows that your cool and badass secretly…

[@ayat5483]

​@@mariamart_0 yes like Heisenberg

[@mariamart_0]

@@ayat5483 true and don’t forget about Mads Mikkelson from Hannibal…lol

[@GoodMorning-b2w]

lol, i look forward to that future

[@Jann-Aron]

Introvert here with myopia at around-5.00. I wish I had seen this video when I was younger. I spent a lot of my childhood days outside, but high school and college I was seriously just at home everyday. The worst part is that it doesn't stop getting worse. Going outside at least a few hours a day is the least I could do now.

[@keyholes]

It's not just "abusing" your eyesight that can cause this, there's also a number of eye diseases that can too. I have myopia thanks to uveitis, having never needed glasses prior. Some of us are just unlucky.

[@ForzaOwnz]

Obviously, but those diseases have not been increasing over the decades

[@keyholes]

@@ForzaOwnz Diagnosis of them may well have been. We're still working on getting healthcare to all the far off rural areas of the world.

[@neferti4387]

and genetics too, everyone from my grandfather's side has bad vision since they were young

[@Eosinophyllis]

@@ForzaOwnzautoimmune disorders such as JIA and SLE that can cause inflammation of the eye HAVE been, though.

[@japoc]

Are there more people in northern developed countries who have myopia than there are in other developed countries? It would be interesting to look at the data in countries where sunlight is practically non-existent during the fall and winter months. Also, what about surgeries? LASIK is a popular solution, although with its own risks... This video was cut short! There's so much more that could have been talked about...!

[@kdingo]

I asked my doctor the same exact thing, “What about LASIK?” and he mentioned that while LASIK will modify the cornea to correct the focal point on the retina it doesn’t stop the elongation of the eyeball, so you’re still at risk of retinal detachment, etc

[@MeMoeMustafaAlnour]

@@kdingo and before that there is a high possibility it will go bad gradually again and need glasses before the big curtain drop.

[@spisie130]

There’s a video on scishow about this same topic. Came out 7 years ago and has a little bit more information if you’re into the topic. Just search up slowly losing our eyesight scishow

[@marcschulze9123]

There has been tons of research in the past years on myopia - and most importantly, the research deals with the causes and potential strategies to slow its progression down. You can never reverse it.... LASIK is a means of correcting myopia, but it does not represent a cure - it allows you to get up in the morning without (or rarely) needing glasses to see clearly at distance. The problem is that people who got LASIK often think they are "cured" and don't see their optometrist on a regular basis anymore - but they are at the same risk for retinal detachment due to eye elongation as they were before the surgery because the eye is still as long as before surgery (apart from the corneal cell layers removed during LASIK)....

[@afreen5058]

Oooh. True. I wonder how warmer people be doing.

[@peabody3000]

carbohydrates may play a role; many people on keto-style diets are reporting dramatic eyesight improvements

[@anjee2440]

Anyone else had their eyesights worsen during the pandemic? Both my parents have perfect vision, so did my sister & I. But after 2+ years of staying indoors so much my sister’s eyesight became worse than those of my parents - who are nearly 60. I also feel my eyesight got worse but luckily not much. I wonder how it is with kids/teenagers

[@Selene_Antonia]

I have. As a neurodivergent individual, it also affects me more than most.

[@CanadaCrazy]

did you take the poison shots?

[@21cup]

Go and get it checked out, I noticed way worse eyesight and it turns out that I had a condition that was gradual over time called keratoconus which cannot be fixed but can be stopped. Earlier the better because there are less invasive options. An ophthalmologist should be able to spot it easily in a routine check up.

[@tangerinetech5300]

Lol I really doubt it you also probably didn't actually stay inside for 2+ years

[@gosera-1108]

@@21cup Kertaoconus can be improved, but the risk is higher then the reward in most cases and thats with a Cornea transplant(PK/DALK/EK) it will never able to restore your vision back to full but it will be able with it and RGP/Hard Lens restore your eyesight up to visus 20/40(0.5) then sometimes better.. But as said risk is higher and reward and mostly offered to people who has advance kertaoconus that cant wear lenses.

[@brokenglassshimmerlikestar3407]

I also got my first pair of glasses at age 12. But luckily my vision stabilised then and twenty years later I'm still at the same mild degree of nearsightedness. I only ever need my glasses at the movies or at the back of a classroom.

[@rickdeheiden]

I mainly wore glasses until my 15th birthday, after that I got lenses that work in the night. I sometimes need glasses too see but only -1.00 or -1.50 to see. It also depends of how you sleep.

[@rexydallas8D]

If it's 0.25 or 0.5, it's probably not even real myopia at all.

[@YachtyBurner]

lucky lol

[@liz_violet]

yeah, my eyesight has barely changed by like .5 every few years.

[@taka-taktak]

You are lucky. I didn't need glasses before going to college but in mere 5 years my eyesight has deteriorated so fast, it went from less than 1 to more than 2 and is still worsening.

[@mohamedzarif4473]

SINGLE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS SIMULTANEOUSLY 1. Look at phone closely 2. With glasses This makes myopia worse

[@jessastephens8778]

This!!!!! It took me a while to figure this out but my God did it make a difference. With glasses on, I felt so cross eyed and it hurt to focus on anything near sighted. Books and my phone normally, but other things too

[@casstitudy]

i'm confused? so don't wear glasses while using a phone or screen?

[@dessieangel1021]

That’s interesting since my eye sight really got worse when I moved to a colder climate and didn’t have neighborhood kids to play with like I did when I was in elementary school. I was stuck inside more, and I was attached to technology more than I had been as a kid. Makes total sense now that I have glasses

[@RossAlexanderSmith]

It's all but been confirmed that it's due to light exposure. There are several studies that make very strong cases for it. The problem is, none of them describe what type of light is important to get exposure to. Does UV light need to enter the retina? What type of UV? What wavelengths are best? Is it just overall exposure (brightness/intensity) and can sunglasses interfere with that?

[@homeyworkey]

lol i wonder if we can play blast lights in rooms (because reality is alot of time spent is people in a room doing work).

[@tinguspingus295]

thats stuff that isnt known yet and wont be for some time.

[@vincenthu5045]

You can just look up "380nm protection myopia" on google and you'll likely find studies

[@jonathankittrell170]

I've long speculated that sunglasses harm vision. We evolved without them and now most people spend less time outdoors then ever. I'm not a doctor but my guess is that minimal use of sunglasses would have the best health outcomes unless you're someone who spends most of your waking hours in full sun.

[@leitodamien3835]

@@jonathankittrell170 lol, I never used sunglass until adulthood and I already got myopia when I'm at elementary school.

[@anisha9939]

Yesterday I went for an eye check up cause the distant objects were little bit blurry specially for the right eye(sph -0.25 which is really mild)..It was a relief that I was at early stage😅 so my doctor told me to increase outdoor activities and reduce my screen time. Whereas youtube reccomending me this video by Vox is such an eye opener🥲❤

[@estycki]

I had a friend from Taiwan, his dad had bad vision and knew about this so he made him go outside and play sports a lot as a kid - he has 20/20 vision!

[@maomekat2369]

Do you think he made the kid sound 4hrs outside every day? Maybe 8hrs? Maybe his dad mage him sleep outside also so in 24hrs the kids was 20hrs outside? Did he take good phone away too? Did he so him reading books in school?.. so believing everything you hear, at most he could increase his fault time outside but 30-60min avg esp if the das has job family etc

[@estycki]

@@maomekat2369 no phone buddy, it was the 90s

[@estycki]

@ineasud it's either that or has to do with natural light.

[@nofurtherwest3474]

Haha sounds like me with my Kid. He plays a lot of soccer and some baseball.

[@kitty.katttt]

I wish this video covered more about what adults who have had myopia since childhood can do to make their chances of worse disorders later in life smaller. Would lasik help? It sounds to me like it wouldn’t, but I don’t know much about this. I got all depressed after watching this cause I’ve had bad vision since I was a kid and now it’s telling me I’m probably gonna have cataracts or lose my vision completely when I get older lol

[@Viickatnite]

Being more diligent about the 20 min on/20 min off rule (in regards to upclose/computer work) is definitely good practice! In regards to reducing chances of retinal detachment, avoiding high-contact sports, bungee-jumping and roller coasters is a good idea 😅 cataracts will happen to everyone as we age. Keeping up with your yearly eye exams and asking your doctor all the questions is of course most ideal! Speaking as a -8 ophthalmology tech 😬

[@umetnikmina]

​@@Viickatnite the 20/20 rule is nice and all, but if I followed that rule during high school I wouldn't have graduated because I was studying graphic design.... And, as many people have commented, I started needing glasses at the time I was most outside. Go figure...

[@tom33453]

i know :(

[@Christian-wu3mp]

Same question. Does lasik lower the risk of developing complications like glaucoma? Or is it just fixing the near sightedness..??

[@marcschulze9123]

@@Christian-wu3mp just fixing the nearsightedness as it reshapes the cornea. Your eye is still longer than it should be.

[@ianstiehl1994]

I wonder to what degree the lack of any selective pressure towards good eyesight also matters.

[@DragonDeFord]

I have somewhat strong myopia (-5.25 and -5.00) - I appreciate this video talking about how having a strong myopia can affect more than just your eyesight in the event your myopia is caused by the shape of your eyeballs... A routine retinal exam for me found 1 tiny retinal hole, which two years later became several retinal holes and increased lattice degeneration, which a few months later came my first symptoms of fluid infiltration through these holes (photopsias and shadows) and I have had to have laser photocoagulation treatments a few times to decrease risk of retinal detachment. Strong myopia is a serious problem and it's so important to go beyond visual exams and get your retinas checked regularly ! For everyone but especially for highly myopic people.

[@dukes1993724]

That was exact vision pre-LASIK (flipped, -5.00/-5.25). Now corrected to -.50/.-1.00. Have you considered LASIK?

[@Amit_Kattal]

As someone who lives in Taiwan, seeing small children playing on phones all day wearing big glasses is saddening.

[@ChristinedelaCreme]

This makes so much sense. Before education was mentioned, as soon as he said 'time indoors' I immediately thought of school; our whole education system and even 9-5 jobs are built around being indoors--so sad this wasn't known at the time, because I wish it could have been prevented 😭

[@beamerboy420]

I started getting bad eyesight at 10, but was too scared to tell my mom until eventually a teacher told my mom. She was very mad that my eyesight became bad even though I couldnt do much about it. At 12 I got glasses but I lost them and my parents couldn’t afford new ones so I didn’t get another pair for another year. My eyesight is terrible now, I wish I intervened earlier

[@0xsergy]

Ironically its mostly your parents fault for not taking you outside enough... most ppl dont know though so not her fault.

[@GT-tj1qg]

You were a child. There was not much you could do about it - don't blame yourself for something you had no control over.

[@beamerboy420]

@@0xsergy yh my mom wouldnt allow me to go outside as much

[@beamerboy420]

@@GT-tj1qg thank you

[@ipupi8784]

I've usually been outside, but question, is there a way to like fix your eyesight completely without glasses or contacts? I haven't finished the video

[@MartynCollins]

I got lasix in 2009. Literally one of my best decisions ever. Yes I need reading glasses but far less than most and I can see everything else still. I’m 56.

[@hospitality-y8w]

That's why my eye vision got so bad after quarantine...

[@cindchan]

I had been wondering why more and more people wear glasses these days. I watch old movies, or movies set in historic times and wonder "why was everyone able to see long distances without glasses back then??" Now I have a better understanding as to why. I grew up in the 70's and spent most of my free time outside. But my myopia is genetic. Me and my sister have needed glasses since childhood. Thanks for this video!

[@nevertoooldfordolls]

I intend on homeschooling my kids so I will definitely emphasize outdoor recreation. I spent every summer as a kid on my bike it is still one of my favorite activities.

[@beatriooz]

I am 22 seconds into the video and I just wanna say I am so impressed by the camera skills, editing skills, creativity, its just blowing my mind

[@waves2378]

I’m 18, and only got my glasses last week. I was always proud of my eyesight, but I guess it was bound to happen, especially since both my parents wear glasses.

[@DoctorEyeHealth]

Omg Brilliant video 🎉 very good editing and storytelling! And true!!!

[@dhdr27]

Im kinda sad that everybody forgets the new glasses technology. Since 1-2 Years it’s possible to treat myopic also with glasses. They are new glasses form Hoya (Japanese glasses producing company) called “Miyosmart” that also reduces the growth of the eyeball. And they really work very well. They work so good that most glasses-company’s try to copy that, like Zeiss, Rodenstock or Essilor. I am a optican and most parent’s are not aware of the fact that they need to do something now, when they child is 4-7 years old, so spread the news ! :)

[@Ciel_Bleu4]

Omg i faced retinal tears and underwent a barrage laser surgery and worsening vision in my 20s and i am guilty of spending hours reading stuff up close and time indoors. I will be making some serious lifestyle changes now. Better late than never, right? Thanks for this incredibly informative video, Vox!

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

I don't thnk bright lights do anything once you're older,

[@CleverCheetah]

Its already too late ur not growing up anymore lol. Do whatever you want.

[@Blynded]

This touches me way much more than I would hope. I got my own glasses last November but knowing that this might just not be genetic randomness makes me sadden a bit.

[@chuckfriebe843]

As an Ophthalmic Tech, I can tell you the first sign of a myopic child is them holding their books very close to read, sitting really close to the TV or computer, and complaining about no being able to see at the board at school.

[@RainingMetal]

Oh god. I have a severe case of nearsightedness, and I absolutely hate being outdoors (have several nature allergies, hate getting too hot and bothered, and hate the glaring sun). This answers quite a bit. I really wish there was a better solution than going outside.

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

Define severe. Too many people think -3 diopters is severe. If you're -6 or better and are older, I would say don't sweat it. If not...good luck I guess,

[@stephenjones5304]

HI. I am a senior who does not need glasses. I like to study Nature. No sunglasses. Can you describe your nature allergies? The glaring sun can be overcome with a wide-brimmed hat. I also hate getting too hot or cold, but I found that only be enduring some challenges do things improve. "We want all pleasant ends, but will use no harsh means." Most people seem lazy and unadventurous;

[@keithhh]

I'm the heaviest phone/computer user in my family and yet I was the last one to need glasses. Myopia hit me hard because it happened so fast-my transition from normal vision to near-sightedness happened just over a few days.

[@decentlylazy7419]

same

[@sheilabajos1548]

Guys, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your videos. But would you please add metric references as well? There's always inches, lbs, miles and american-only stuff that makes your videos less accessible for the rest of us.

[@kyungshim6483]

I spent more time indoors growing up than my brother did. I was also more studious looking at things up close such as books. I wear glasses and he doesn't. So it seems that this report is consistent with my experience.

[@PopTartNeko]

Someone has to invent an eyeball shortener

[@annak.3275]

I went from very subtle astigmatism as a late teen to being moderately nearsighted, very quickly, in my mid-twenties. I still believe this is due to my night-shift editing job I got soon after college. I would have my face just a few inches from the screen a lot of the time to "focus" on the words and rarely ever saw the light of the sun. I had -2.5 myopia within just a few years. Strong believer that staring at things up close can cause this.

[@minishking1]

As a fellow person using spectacles. Sitting on the train watching this video. Like around, almost everyone has glasses… Truly is a pandemic. Anyone remember when tv networks did “a day of play”. Encouraging kids to go out. That should apply to social media and streaming platforms now. At least once a month, we can change the future. But only if we want to.

[@MortyMortyMorty]

Doing Lasic was the single most important decision of my life. It is SO much worth it, and even tho the upfront cost is high, but over 5-10 years you would have spent that much of money on glasses/contacts too. The time I saved from putting in and out contacts every day alone is worth it, not even speaking about the freedom of vision after 20 years again.

[@BlownMacTruck]

Not worth it if you have any sensitivity to halos or need your night vision unaffected, all common side effects of laser corrective surgery, not to mention it doesn’t always give you 20/20 vision. In fact the people who have the worst cases of myopia will often still need corrective lenses in certain situations.

[@Rachelllllll2024]

Shaving layers off your eyeballs to see better? No thanks. I'd rather pay money than risk serious complications.

[@MortyMortyMorty]

@@Rachelllllll2024 It's extremely safe, go do some research I don't want to convince you. Just shared my personal experience and I am happier than every in my life.

[@Samzo2002]

@@MortyMortyMortybut it has some risks

[@MortyMortyMorty]

@@Samzo2002 There is a risk you get struck by lighting if you go outside too.

[@otiebrown9999]

For scientific reasons, I believe that early prevention is possible at 20/50, (-0.75 D) and use a prevention plus lens for all close work. By this process, I got my refraction to change by +1 Diopter. I now confirming 20/20, with refractive STATE at +0.25 Diopters. This is an Engineering/ Scientific approach.

[@Tn-zf7ue]

what about the sunlight is it true or its just correlation, and the root cause is close up vision habit ? thanks sir.

[@seitensifir4605]

I got my glasses when I couldn’t see the ball and players during France vs Portugal Euro Final 2016

[@valeriephd]

I didn't realize until this video that it was abnormal that I "grew out of" needing glasses for nearsightedness. I needed them starting in 6th grade as I realized I couldn't read the blackboard well but by the time I went off to college I had 20/20 vision naturally. Now in my 30s I have extremely mild presbyopia (so mild I don't bother wearing glasses 99.9% of the time).

[@spaghettibrain372]

same

[@ipupi8784]

Wait how do you grow out of it?

[@Lord_Swoledemort]

I doubt you have presbyopia in your 30's unless you're 38 or 39.

[@PuzzleEscape]

How do you restore the eyesight back to normal? 🙏🙏

[@St.IsaacOfSyria]

Both my parents wear glasses. I don't need them. Turns out climbing trees and staring into the distance instead of doing schoolwork is way better for you.

[@integerrandom]

At 2019, My wife was tasked to do a test to a class of 30 elementary school students for myopia. To her surprises, out of 30 students she did the test, only 4 or them have normal sight. She find it's hard to believe that she double check her equipment and redo the test for entire class, lol.

[@brightkelly]

which country are you in?

[@prateeksharma6706]

I don't want to go blind 😭

[@IngotAU]

😢❤

[@Lucien234-i2z]

I have had myopia since childhood. I never did near work as a child as I literally could not read, I spent all my time outside playing sports yet I still got myopia. My dad also has myopia.

[@mldw172]

I gotta ask...but can you do one on farsightedness, too? I started wearing glasses when I was 5 (I'm 27 now) and I never became myopic -- but hyperopic. My prescription has actually gotten slightly more farsighted as I've gotten older, but it moves super, super slow. I would love to see something covering why farsightedness remains in people, as I am the only one of my friends and family who is farsighted. It seems much rarer than nearsightedness.

[@daivboveri]

I recently discovered I was farsighted, too! I had vision problems for years, but I never went to the doctor. I don't know anyone else that is farsighted. Everyone else I know who has glasses is nearsighted!

[@PandaD2]

Same! Slightly farsighted (+1 range) with astigmatism since childhood. Mid 30s now. All of my optometrists said that my eyesight (apart from the astigmatism) should actually improve as I age, which I am assuming is due to the age-related elongation mentioned in this video. Has not happened yet. Curious to know about the condition.

[@XxQueenChristinaxX]

Yes yes yes. Farsightedness is often overlooked. I’m interested in videos on this. I recently became +0.25.

[@lepark724]

Student optician here, it is quite less common for farsightedness and if you’re lucky enough, you only suffer near vision problems as some people can suffer both near and far vision problems without being presbyopic. Speaking of which, presbyopia will be a gamble on vision usually starting in the 40s where farsightedness can actually develop more or lessen. It will really vary among people so good luck!

[@crazydragy4233]

I wonder if genetic farsightedness has advantage in modern lifestyle, mayhaps it'd cancel out with the environmental impacts lol?

[@miriambogdana8296]

Really cool that they mentioned ortho-k lenses! I wish they were more well-known. They have helped me so much :)

[@makenzie8577]

How do they work?

[@BroAnarchy]

@@makenzie8577 probably by taking Vitamin K

[@DontTakeCrack]

i heard for the most part ortho-k is good until you become an adult. I wore it for much longer than that and it wasn't good but no one had told me about this :(

[@DontTakeCrack]

@@makenzie8577 you wear hard contacts at night, it temporarily adjusts your eye to fix the vision. this effect will revert so that's why you wear it every night.

[@Mike-er2ih]

Only till -4.00 though.

[@De.Grandi]

The fact that the doctors name is "Saw" is amazing

[@Teefschomp]

Another health thing to be anxious about 💀 great video as usual!

[@AJRandom]

back in 2019, i went to the optometrist and they concluded i have astigmatism cause i have normally shaped eyeballs and that my astigmatism has been a thing since i was born and i thank my parents for allowing me to go outside and play hop scotch and tag and hide and seek with my friends which means that i won't have to suffer from both astigmatism and myopia (hopefully)

[@annekai]

My mother grew up on a farm and believed that kids belonged outside. She literally locked me outside all day during the summer, and I played outside after school. By the age of twelve, I needed glasses to see the board in school. My vision is worse than my mother, who had mild myopia, and definitely worse than my father, who was a pilot and had better than 20/20. What happened?? 😢

[@paightonaly]

I went outside a lot as a kid and constantly am outside now… both my parents have myopia…. I am -6.00. The potential for me to have all of these issues is scary.

[@skamarfire]

Its not just being outside but exercise focus training... When I see something blurry I try to focus into the object until it becames sharp in my vision, than I unfocus again, and focus again... that's how you train your vision