Short-sightedness a growing problem in Asia
June 15, 2022 ·
The overuse of tablets , cellphones and gadgets can damage eyesight but another more serious cause of eye-damage among children is lack of sunlight.
The Economist
There are, admittedly, worse things to suffer from. But short-sightedness is not always benign. Glasses and contact lenses are an expensive, lifelong hassle. In parts of rural China, where some families cannot afford either, children struggle in the very schools that are causing the problem. And severe myopia predisposes those enduring it to other eye diseases in middle age, some of which can cause untreatable loss of vision. Governments in Asia are increasingly worried about the public-health implications of entire generations growing up short-sighted. Those in other parts of the world should start worrying, too.
The evidence suggests that regular exposure to bright daylight is vital in properly controlling the growth of children’s eyes. Too little light leads to elongated, short-sighted eyes. Researchers think that this explains why rates are so high in Asia, where a strong cultural emphasis on the value of education leads to long school days and, often, private tutoring in the afternoon and evening. That leaves little time for sunshine. Western children, whose parents are increasingly worried by a hyper-competitive jobs market that threatens much less secure employment than they enjoyed, are beginning to go the same way.
Special eyedrops, as well as clever glasses and contact lenses, may be able to slow the progression of myopia once it has started. But prevention is better than mitigation, and the science suggests a cheap, straightforward measure. A series of encouraging trials, many conducted in Taiwan, show that giving schoolchildren—and especially those in primary education—more time outside can cut the number who go on to develop myopia. An island-wide policy of doing just that seems to have begun reversing the decades-long rise in myopia rates. Similar attempts in Singapore relied on parents, who proved more reluctant to change their behaviour, perhaps worried that other parents might not follow suit, leaving their children at a disadvantage in the classroom.
Governments are well placed to solve such collective-action problems, while reassuring anxious parents that a bit less classroom time is unlikely to be catastrophic. After all, countries such as Finland and Sweden do well in global education rankings with a less intense approach to education. Giving more outdoor time to young children would still leave room for them to cram for exams in their teenage years. And longer breaks in the playground may also make a dent in other rich-world problems such as childhood obesity. Far-sighted governments should send the kids outdoors.
