China has the largest proportion of myopic teenagers

Among China’s 600 million myopic sufferers, almost half the population of the country, Chinese teenagers have the highest ratio in the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported recently.

Although the causes of myopia are still unclear, some scientists believe that surroundings in addition to genes and nutrition are a major factor causing impaired eye sights.

Bad habits such as staring for long periods of time at LED electron screens, reading in the either too dark or too bright, sitting with the wrong posture and watching things too close, can all result in myopia.

Some experts even suspect that education models whereby parents in China urge their children to study hard in an attempt to secure access to top-notch universities, have resulted in the prevalence of myopia, especially among college or high school students. Indoor studying has replaced teenagers spending time doing outdoor activities.

Additionally, the emergence of digital products has led children to spend considerable time staring at screens, increasing the burden on eyes and reducing the frequency of blinking.

In spite of the harm resulting from the electronic screens to eyesight, some schools and parents continue to encourage the replacement of books with tablet computers, which, according to some experts, could lead to more children being prone to myopia.

Statistics show that the myopia is rising among young children between the ages of three and six.

According to the guidance of opticians, children from three years old should keep checking their eyes at least once a year. Parents are advised to bring their children to hospitals if the child is squinting or blinking.