>>> IT'S NO SECRET THAT WE ARE ALL ON OUR PHONES ALL THE TIME.
BUT THERE IS A GROWING CONCERN THAT TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME CAN
HAVE AN EFFECT ON NEARSIGHTEDNESS.
CAROLEE MCGRATH EXPLORES WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP SAVE OUR EYE
SIGHT IN THE DIGITAL AGE. >> 7-YEAR-OLD ALEX IS LOVES TO
READ, LOVES TO PLAY WITH HER FRIENDS, AND LOVE HER iPAD.
SHE'S CERTAINLY NOT ALONE.
ACCORDING TO COMMON SENSE MEDIA, THE AMOUNT OF TIME KIDS SPEND ON
MONTH DEVICES HAS TRIPLED IN RECENT YEARS, FROM 15 MINUTES A
DAY IN 2013 TO 48 MINUTES A DAY IN 2017.
AND EVERYTHING IS AT THEIR FINGER TIPS.
FROM GAMES TO MOVIES.
>> I NOTICE THAT THAT'S ALL THEY WANT TO DO, THEY DON'T WANT TO
PLAY ANY MORE, YOU BUY THEM A MILLION DLARGS WORTH OF TOYS AND
THEY JUST SIT IN A ROOM, AND YOU GET THEM TO GO OUTSIDE AND 10
MINUTES LATER THEY WANT TO COME BACK IN.
IT'S NOTHING LIKE IT WAS WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP.
>> THE MORE CONCERNING PROBLEM FOR THIS MOM IS HOW THE CLOSE
SCREEN TIME COULD BE AFFECTING HER GIRL'S EYE SIGHT.
ALEXIS IS NEARSIGHTED AND IS A PATIENT AT CHICOPEE EYE CARE.
>> I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT UNTIL COMING HERE, AND FINDING
OUT DEFINITELY IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE YOU'RE HOLDING IT SO
CLOSE YOUR FACE.
>> I'VE BEEN IN PRACTICE FOR ALMOST 45 YEARS AND I'M JUST
SEEING A LOT MORE NEARSIGHTEDNESS NOW THAN I DID
20, 30 YEARS AGO.
THE STATISTICS ARE SHOWING A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MYOPIA IN
THIS COUNTRY AND GLOBALLY.
>> ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN OP TO MET RICK ASSOCIATION, PEOPLE
WHO DO CLOSE WORK ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE AT RISK OF
NEARSIGHTEDNESS, A CONDITION IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN SEE UP CLOSE
BUT HAVE A HARDER TIME SEEING FAR AWAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, A SIGN OR A WHITE BOARD IN SCHOOL COULD BE BURRY
TO SOMEONE WHO IS NEARSIGHTED.
THIS OPTOMETRIST SAYS THERE ARE GENETIC FACTORS THAT CAUSE
NEARSIGHTEDNESS, BUT HE ALSO SAYS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
APPEAR TO BE HAVING AN IMPACT.
>> WE KNOW THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS INVOLVED, WE KNOW THAT
CHILDREN ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON DIGITAL DEVICES, SMART
PHONES, I PADS.
COMPUTER GAMES, X BOX.
SO WE'RE NOT SURE IF IT'S JUST MORE CLOSE WORK OR IF THE
DIGITAL DEVICES THEMSELVES ARE A FACTOR.
BUT ONE THING WE CAN ALL DO IS TRY TO LIMIT THE EXPOSURE.
>> DR.
LATKA IS HIS PARTNER AT CHICOPEE EYE CARE.
>> AS TIME IS GOING BY WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT
OF NEARSIGHTEDNESS.
WORLDWIDE.
GENETIC REASONS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A PARENT WHO IS
NEARSIGHTED, YOUR ODDS OF BEING NEARSIGHTED ARE TWO TIMES
GREATER THAN IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PARENT WITH MYOPIA, OR IF BOTH
PARENTS ARE IT CAN BE FIVE TIMES GREATER.
HOWEVER, ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS HAVE AN IMPACT AS WELL.
ALL THE READING, CLOSE WORK, COMPUTER THAT WE'RE DOING, SEEMS
TO BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASE IN NEARSIGHTEDNESS.
>> THEY SAY THAT PARENTS REALLY NEED TO LIMIT SCREEN TIME, WHICH
CAN BE DIFFICULT.
IF YOU'RE TEEN-AGERS ARE USING THEIR PHONES OR COMPUTERS FOR
HOMEWORK.
BUT THEY ALSO SAY TO TRY THE 20-20-20 RULE.
>> EVERY 20 MINUTES OF INTENSE NEAR WORK YOU'RE DOING, TRY TO
LOOK UP AND OUT AT LEAST 20 FEET AWAY FOR 20 SECONDS, TO NOT ONLY
GIVE YOUR EYE MUSCLES A BREAK, SO THAT WHEN YOU LOOK OUT AT
DISTANCE THEY RELAX, BUT ALSO YOU CAN DO A FEW BLINKS.
ANOTHER GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS FOR EVERY HOUR THAT YOU'RE ON A
NEAR DEVICE LIKE A COMMUTER, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A 10 MINUTE
BREAK, WALK AWAY FROM IT, DO SOMETHING ELSE.
>> A STUDY RELEASED BY THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE FOUND
THAT CHILDREN IN INDIA WHO SPENT SEVEN HOURS A WEEK ON COMPUTERS
OR MOBILE DEVICES TRIPLED THEIR RISK OF MYOPIA.
>> AS WE PROJECT FORWARD TO 2050, THEY ARE ESTIMATING THAT
UP TO 50% OF THE POPULATION MAY BECOME NEARSIGHTED WORLDWIDE,
WITH 10% HIGHLY NEARSIGHTED.
>> DR.
LATKA SAYS HIGH NEARSIGHTEDNESS CARRIES WITH IT
A RISK OF GLAUCOMA, CATARACT, E DETACHED RETINA AND MACULAR
DEGENERATION.
IN THE MEANTIME, SHE'S FOLLOWING THE DOCTOR'S ADVICE.
>> I GIVE THEM TIME RESTRICTIONS AND ONCE IN A WHILE UNPLUG THE
INTERNET OR TRY TO DISTRACT HER OR MAKE OUTSIDE PLANS, GO DO
SOMETHING, OR GET AWAY FROM THE HOUSE, GO SHOPPING, DO SOMETHING
OTHER THAN SCREEN TIME.