Retina South Africa supports the theme for World Sight Day – October 10^th, Love your Eyes- Kids. Our focus is the alarming increasing rate of Myopia [short sightedness] in children caused by excessive screen time, and we are encouraging parents to use World Retina Day – September 28^th as a screen free day for their families. The dangers of the blue light emitted by digital screens are also concerning. We are appealing to parents to encourage at least 2 hours outdoor play or activity every day. Untreated myopia is causing irreversible retinal damage globally, and in an increasingly younger population. Consult your eye care professional.   

We at Retina South Africa are deeply concerned about the dramatic increase in myopia in children and the risk of permanent damage to the eyes. Although devices (smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs) are hugely beneficial, they also have a downside.

In keeping with the international theme for the year, Love Your Eyes – Kids, we stress the need for timely interventions, including limiting screen time, and spending at least 2 hours outdoors each day.

Myopia, or shortsightedness is a common eye-focusing disease whereby objects far away appear blurry and out of focus.  Childhood myopia is more significant than just needing regular spectacles to correct blurry vision as it typically gets worse as they get older resulting in increasingly blurry vision, more frequent changes in their spectacle prescription and an increased risk of eye diseases in adulthood. 

Myopia is caused by the eyes growing too quickly and too long compared to the normal steady growth rate until the teenage years. This ongoing myopia deterioration is called myopia progression and leads to stretching of the retina, the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye.  A stretched retina, even in small amounts, increases the risk of eye diseases and vision impairment such as myopic maculopathy, retinal detachment, and cataracts – not only in children, but even in later life.

The incidence of myopia is rising significantly as lifestyles change, as children take part in more near-work activities like using digital devices, studying, reading, and spending less time outdoors.  Hereditary, behavioural and environmental factors also play a part.  Myopia is a growing problem causing global concern.  An estimated 5 billion people, or half of the global population, could be affected by myopia by the year 2050.