ABC’s Good Morning America ran this interesting segment last week on America Going Blind. I know our friends at Eye Over Heard already posted about it, they are always so quick, but hey I’m all for promoting a story which makes people ask the question “Is Texting Making America Go Blind? ” if it makes them go get their eyes checked more often! Also, I find people constantly texting very annoying so maybe this will make them stop!!! Dream on, nothing will make them stop! Here it is the story and links in case you missed it:
Don’t look now, but you could be, right at this instant, contributing to a growing problem in America: nearsightedness. A new study conducted by the National Eye Institute shows that the rate of nearsightedness, or myopia, in Americans has increased from 25 percent in the 1970s to a staggering 41 percent this year.
The study didn’t examine the causes of such an increase, but experts told “Good Morning America” the reasons could include genetics or poor outdoor lighting. Another possible reason could be an increase in “near work”-like reading, surfing the Web or texting.
To watch the video you can find it on www.Youtube.com and type in “America’s Vision Gets Blurrier” in Search or go to:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/nearsighted-americans-texting-partially-blame/story?id=9347796
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Indeed, this is big news. Thanks for posting about it. I hope this story gets all the attention it deserves. Unfortunately it is a complex issue and it will be a long time before we have consensus on myopia.
I tried to do my part to get the word out by writing a blog entry on the subject here: http://natebw.posterous.com/img00523jpg-1
-Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Oops! That was a picture of my family! (still cute, though)
The actual link to the blog is http://bit.ly/88myXt
-Nate
Thank for the information, I think it’s not just the myopia, the carpal tunnel syndrome, the lack of not being able to spell correctly, the constant attachment to a cell phone, driving while texting, the inattention and discourtesy to other people… Need I go on?
Cathy
Can I repost your article on opticalvisionresources.com linked back to your site?
Yes, there are all kinds issues, both ergonomic and social, that arise with the new technology. I know I am susceptible. Some are easier to combat than others.
And yes, feel free to post the article. Thanks for asking.
-Nate