For more than a hundred years it's been well known that you can go to a remote area where almost no one is nearsighted, introduce a certain function to them, and within 50 years near sightedness will be over 30%.
That function?
Reading.
Unfortunately, forcing your eyes to focus closely on the printed page has the effect of eventually making them longer. Groups that focus primarily at a distance, and have no real reason for close focusing, have practically no nearsighted members.
In all the parts of the world we've gone to "civilize" nearsightedness followed shortly thereafter.
Well...THAT theory doesn’t explain my eyes....I’ve always READ, always...a lot....and no nearsightedness at all. I’m questioning whether it’s the “reading.”
I think you're right. I started reading at three, needed glasses at seven. Same story with my daughter. But I'd rather be smart than sighted! 8^)
“That function?
Reading. “
May be a good argument not to force your kids to be reading too early; let their eyes develop.
My son reads books like they are candy, and has since learned to manage his extreme dyslexia in 1st grade. He got 4 theoretical physics books as an end-of-school present, and one week later, he’s nearly done. We also picked up about 30 books in the fall for him from a friend that was getting rid of them ... almost done. As well as all the AP reading he has had to do, and books he re-reads constanly (Stephen Hawking).
His vision is better than perfect (at 17). I got glasses at 12 and my husband at 16 ... we are both readers too, so no explanation for the boy ... except he is a 3-sport athlete, so he is outside a whole bunch. None of the four kids have glasses.