We all have those friends that need to wear glasses, but are basically blind and cannot read the giant letter E on the top of the sight examination chart from 3 feet away. You think to yourself, “Thank goodness I can see perfectly fine!” Well, you used to think that, anyway. I recently took a fun little trip to the optometry office, where I sat all arrogant-like, thinking I had perfect vision and would never need glasses in a million years. Well, turns out I was wrong. My doctor told me I have an astigmatism but assured me that I did not need to wear my glasses all the time, just when I was reading, writing, working on the computer, zooming, looking at my phone, and driving. I don’t know what this doctor does on a daily basis, but he described almost every activity I partake in. Now, of course, having vision problems is perfectly normal, and genetically speaking, I always had a chance of needing glasses -- both my sisters have them. They say you may need glasses the older you get, and I just turned 18, but this was not something I could blame on genetics. Torah High girls, let me shed some light on the atrocity that gave me my impaired vision. At my appointment, my doctor shared with me the truth behind why my vision is imperfect.
Let me ask you, what have you been doing more of over this past year?
My answer is staring at a computer screen, not because I wanted to but because I needed to.
staring at a computer screen, not because I wanted to but because I needed to.
When COVID struck, our lives shifted to an online version of what it used to be. We began having school online, seeing our friends online, and doing everything and anything we could no longer do in person ONLINE. So, my poor eyes strained and strangled and tormented, and little by little, my eyesight worsened. My doctor told me he thinks my astigmatism started around 6 months ago and got worse over that time. So, COVID made me need glasses. Online school destroyed my vision, and now, I sit here writing an article on my computer and the only way I can see the words on my screen is with my glasses on. And guess what, this atrocity did not only happen to me. According to my doctor, the number of people who need glasses has increased significantly since the start of COVID and the era of online life. This monster could slowly be creeping up on you, tearing apart your perfect, 20/20 vision until there is no going back. Good students of Torah High, heed my warning! DO NOT LET THIS MONSTER STEAL YOUR GOOD VISION, TOO! So, I have compiled a list of doctor-suggested strategies to protect your eyes.
How to protect your eyes from the harmful blue light that fries your retinas:
Step 1: Take a 2 minute break from looking at your computer every 45 minutes. But, during those two minutes, DO NOT look at another screen. You must give your eyes a break from all devices. So take a short walk, eat some food, go to the bathroom, etc.
Step 2: Never watch long videos on your phone. Your phone is the WORST possible thing to be staring at for too long. If you need to watch a video, make sure it is no longer than 10 minutes. And, if you do watch a longer video, take a 2 minute break afterwards. Take a break even when you are just looking at your phone.
Step 3: Ditch TikTok (this is not actually anything the doctor said, it's more my opinion). I have seen you youngsters become obsessed with this app, and let me tell you, it is horrible for your eyes (as well as your souls and, quite possibly, your personalities). People have told me how they can spend hours scrolling through videos, and while they are not 10 minutes long, collectively they are far longer than that. So, everyday, on top of your online classes and work, you are giving your retinas an extra little zap, which is not very nice. So, you may want to rethink this whole TikTok thing.
Step 4: If you can go to school in person, DO IT. Do not force your eyes to stare at a screen if they do not have to because in the end, they will get you back by requiring the use of glasses..
Step 5: Visit your optometrist!!! I can tell you that my vision could have gotten so much worse had I not gone to get my eyes checked out. Sadly, it may be too late for some of you, but you can catch this eyesight decay early and hopefully stop further damage.
While this pandemic was unexpected and the “best” solution was making everything virtual, it still angers me that my eyes, and the eyes of many people, had to suffer. I would not be as upset if I needed glasses because of my genetics, but knowing that it was online school that sealed the deal angers me. I feel bad for the people at the optometry office because I was MAD. And, for those of you who know me well, that can be quite scary. That is when I decided I wanted to expose the issues of our new virtual life. So, be careful, take care of your eyes, and hopefully, you can still save your vision.
*For those of you who already have glasses, you should also partake in these steps to help your vision because it could get worse. But, if you are like Ahuvah, there is no helping you. I am so sorry.
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