The eyesight of a software engineer in his 20s who spent 15 to 16 hours per day looking at a computer screen or his smartphone degenerated so rapidly over less than two years that he suffered macular degeneration, his doctor said, adding that such cases are growing at an exponential rate.
The man, whose original test showed that he had myopia of 600 degrees, after one-and-a-half years found that his condition had worsened to 1,300 degrees, Tri-Service General Hospital’s Department of Ophthalmology director Lu Da-wen (呂大文) said.
The man was diagnosed with macular degeneration, and even after treatment, his vision was only able to recover from 20/200 to 20/40, Lu said.
A survey conducted by the Institute for Information Industry showed that Taiwanese spend an average of 205 minutes per day looking at their smartphones, and nearly 50 percent experience myopia.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by Taiwan Star Telecom Corp showed that of Taiwanese aged between 20 and 49, nearly 70 percent use their smartphones or tablets for more than five hours per day.
The survey also showed that 47 percent of respondents view digital devices when they are using the toilet, 42 percent while eating and 35 percent while walking.
In addition, although more than 90 percent of parents said they limit the time their children use digital devices, more than 60 percent of parents still use such devices for more than five hours per day.
Developing macular degeneration is usually associated with aging or having diabetes, and mainly affects people over 55, but with the popularity of mobile devices, cases of younger people with macular degeneration have increased in recent years, Lu said.
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