Each iteration of the iPhone has an even more advanced camera than was ever believed possible in such a compact device. But the human eye, optometrists want you to know, is significantly more powerful than an iPhone camera could ever be.
That was the ultimate takeaway from the American Optometric Association’s interactive installation, The Eye, which was unveiled in New York City this week.
The campaign’s primary physical asset is a large sculpture that illustrates each layer and function of the eye. It also includes immersive pods where members of the public can learn about how eyes register color, texture and depth perception. Collectively the campaign assets underscore the importance of eye health, which experts believe is often overlooked.
The Eye is the third installment of AOA’s “Eye Deserve More” campaign, which links eye health to the powers of technology.
“We all have our phones. We’re all attached to them,” said AOA PR and communications manager Julia Moore. “But if you’ve ever taken a picture of something and said, ‘Oh, that didn’t capture it,’ of course it didn’t. Your eyes are way better than any of your tech is going to be.
“Your eyes are what’s taking it all in, and it would be devastating to have anything happen to them,” she continued.
Researchers note that the rate of myopia, or nearsightedness, has steadily increased for decades. In the U.S., the rate of myopia has risen from 25% in 1971 to 42% in 2017. It’s particularly pronounced in children.
While it’s difficult to determine exactly what has driven that surge, some experts believe it correlates with the myriad hours spent typing, working, scrolling and watching TV across any number of screens. A Backlinko report recently revealed that people in the U.S. are registering up to seven hours of screen time per day.
Excessive screen time can cause dry eye, eye strain, a loss of focus flexibility and eye fatigue in general.
At an event panel that coincided with the opening of the installation, optometrist and president of the AOA board of directors Belinda Starkey joined content creator Judner Aura and creator of “The Eye” sculpture Sebastian Arrieta to discuss the interaction of technology with the human eye.
“As the tech evolves, it will become more demanding of our eyes… Screens are coming closer and closer and closer to us,” Arrieta said. “That’s where we have to prioritize eye health and how we go about [using that] technology.”
The panelists encouraged people to receive regular eye exams and to do simple exercises at home. The 20-20-20 technique, for instance, involves looking away from the screen every 20 minutes and looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Solutions can be simple. Myopia and many cases of eye strain or fatigue can be mitigated by simply trading the screens for some time outside.
“Studies support that children should spend two hours a day outside, because that’s one of the ways we see a reduction in myopia,” Starkey noted.
The panelists called for more education around eye health as technology evolves further. To that end, they hope to see tech companies themselves incorporate solutions for eye strain into their products.
