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Date Posted: 10:39:25 06/03/01 Sun
Author: Marlene
Author Host/IP: 216.126.137.36
Subject: Kids / reading / myopia
In reply to: Marlene 's message, "Re: Tell me what you think please" on 09:28:41 06/03/01 Sun

Me again - I know this sounds blasphemous..........but I tend to cringe just a little when I hear of children spending extended
periods of time reading. Here's why:
Humans are born farsighted...we were not "meant" to use our eyes for reading, sewing, crafting, even making small
weapons. We needed to be able to see the food source in the distance.
If young eyes are focused for long periods of time "up close", the eyes will adapt in an actual physical sense. The eyeball
becomes larger and the muscles of the eye that pull in the focus become strengthened and larger. The eye becomes
nearsighted. With all our emphasis on education and use of books and computers, more and more children are becoming
nearsighted at a young age.
Twenty five years ago, it was college that did it - as more and more teenagers went on to higher education and spent
sustained time reading, glasses for myopia became the norm. But now it is starting younger and younger. Heredity *does*
play a part....but sustained closework for youngsters increases it greatly.
So, get your bookworms to take breaks every 20 minutes or so....go outside, walk around or even just relax the eyes by
gazing off into the distance.
My older daughter (a bookworm) became nearsighted in High School, her first daughter was more nearsighted than her
Mother by Kindergarten. It makes me sad to know she's going to have to wear glasses or contacts the rest of her life. It's
bad enough when it hits all of us at about 50! But that's a different problem.

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