Way more kids have fuzzy vision these days because we spend less time in outdoor light, which makes our eyeballs longer. LEARN MORE ************** To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords: - Lens: A transparent biconvex structure in the eye that can change its shape to change the focal distance. - Retina: A layer at the back of the eyeball containing cells that are sensitive to light. - Fovea: A small depression in the retina where visual acuity is highest. - Myopia: A common vision condition in which distant objects are blurry. - Hyperopia: A vision condition in which nearer objects are blurry. - Emmetropization: The process by which the eye grows in order to maximize visual acuity. - Dopamine: A neurotransmitter in the retina that tells the eyeball to stop growing once it has gotten to the ideal length. - Near Work Hypothesis: The theory that the modern myopia epidemic was a result of humans spending more time looking at nearby objects. SUPPORT MINUTEEARTH ************************** If you like what we do, you can help us!: - Become our patron: https://patreon.com/MinuteEarth - Share this video with your friends and family - Leave us a comment (we read them!) CREDITS ********* David Goldenberg | Script Writer, Narrator and Director Sarah Berman | Illustration, Video Editing and Animation Nathaniel Schroeder | Music MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC https://neptunestudios.info OUR STAFF ************ Lizah van der Aart • Sarah Berman • Arcadi Garcia i Rius David Goldenberg • Melissa Hayes • Alex Reich Henry Reich • Peter Reich • Ever Salazar Alexander Vidal • Leonardo Souza • Kate Yoshida OUR LINKS ************ Youtube | https://youtube.com/MinuteEarth TikTok | https://tiktok.com/@minuteearth Twitter | https://twitter.com/MinuteEarth Instagram | https://instagram.com/minute_earth Facebook | https://facebook.com/Minuteearth Website | https://minuteearth.com Apple Podcasts| https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minuteearth/id649211176 REFERENCES ************** Zhou, X., Pardue, M. T., Iuvone, P. M., & Qu, J. (2017). Dopamine signaling and myopia development: What are the key challenges. Progress in retinal and eye research, 61, 60–71. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.preteyeres.2017.06.003 Morgan, I. G., Rose, K. A., Ellwein, L. B., & Refractive Error Study in Children Survey Group (2010). Is emmetropia the natural endpoint for human refractive development? An analysis of population-based data from the refractive error study in children (RESC). Acta ophthalmologica, 88(8), 877–884. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-3768.2009.01800.x Dolgan, E. (2015). The Myopia Boom. Nature. 519: 276-278. Retrieved from: https://www.nature.com/news/polopoly_fs/1.17120!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/519276a.pdf Carr BJ, Stell WK. The Science Behind Myopia. (2017) In: Kolb H, Fernandez E, Nelson R, editors. Webvision: The Organization of the Retina and Visual System [Internet]. Salt Lake City (UT): University of Utah Health Sciences Center; 1995-. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470669/ Brody, J. (2021). Why Nearsightedness is on the Rise in Children. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/well/live/nearsightedness-myopia-children.html Klaver CCW, Polling JR, Enthoven CA. (2021) 2020 as the Year of Quarantine Myopia. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021;139(3):300–301. Retrieved from: doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.6231