Eye Sight - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Gangsta · 06-29-2003, 11:43 AM

does watching tv/computer too much really worsen your eye sight? I've spoken to some people and most say no, is it true?

lurkette · 06-29-2003, 11:56 AM

i don't think it worsens your eyesight per se but it can make your eyes tired, and if you already have vision problems I think it can make them seem worse temporarily. I am very farsighted, and when I've been staring at a computer for 8 hours I find that my ability to compensate for my farsightedness slacks off, even with glasss.

WhoaitsZ · 06-29-2003, 12:27 PM

i am sure someone can post statistics showing studies and what not....

as for me, i rarely have trouble with staring at a pc. a few weeks ago i had to quit IRC due to eye weakness, but that was a one time deal.

i am at my pc (unless rare town/dr visit) 8 to 12+ hours a day , every day. my sight stills seems fine.

now when i get in bed, for now, the monitor is quite far away and i can't make it out too well, even with huge fonts.

aparantly I'm . near-sighted? I can't remember which does which. i can read and focus up close, far away is another issue altogether.

BUT my eye doc has warned me for six or seven years to back off the screen. so in the long term I do not know, and honestly my body is so different than everyone elses' i'd not go by my own physical issues if i were you

Psivage · 06-29-2003, 12:51 PM

I played PS2 for about 8 hours once, the next morning my eyes were blurry. I quit playing PS2 for about 3 days, eyesight came back.

Conclamo Ludus · 06-29-2003, 01:26 PM

Can masturbation really make you blind?

The_Dude · 06-29-2003, 04:36 PM

i think the more you watch monitors, more your long range vision goes down (dont ask me why).

that's been my experience

rockzilla · 06-29-2003, 04:42 PM

Masturbation doesn't make you go blind. It's just an old wives tale.

If it were true, I'd be.. uhhhhh, is there anything like being blind, but more so? Like super-blind?

phredgreen · 06-29-2003, 05:48 PM

i beg to differ...

but seriously...

here's the straight dope

Quote:

<b>Will sitting too close to the TV, reading with bad light, etc., ruin your eyes?
24-Jul-1992</b>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<i>Dear Cecil:

When I was a little kid my mother always warned me not to sit too close to the TV because it would "ruin your eyes." Now I am saying the same thing to my two sons. Is this really true? Exactly what eye damage can occur? Is there an optimal distance from which to view a television screen? I am aware of the mental damage that children can incur from watching television but have never been clear about the adverse physical effects of this pastime. --David Horowitz, Los Angeles, California</i>

Dear David:

First the good news: according to most eye specialists, claims that you'll ruin your eyes by sitting too close to the TV, reading in bed, using inadequate light, etc., are old wives' tales. The bad news is that the old wives may have been right.

First let's dispose of the TV threat. Virtually no one believes that under ordinary circumstances television watching poses any special danger. (Well, physically, anyway.) Prior to 1968 or so some sets emitted excessive X-rays, but that problem has now been eliminated. More recently concern has arisen about computer video display terminals (VDTs), which typically are viewed at much closer range than televisions; research is inconclusive so far but continuing. To be on the safe side some eye doctors say you shouldn't let your kids get closer than five feet to the TV screen, the room shouldn't be pitch black, etc. But the intention is to prevent eye fatigue, not eye damage.

The more general (and more interesting) question you raise is this: is it possible to ruin your eyesight through overuse, close work, inadequate light, and so on? The usual answer from the MDs is no. But don't be too sure. A fair number of people believe that some eye problems, notably myopia (nearsightedness), are a "product of civilization," as one researcher puts it.

The most striking demonstration of this was a study in the late 60s of eyesight among Eskimoes in Barrow, Alaska. These people had been introduced to the joys of civilization around World War II. The incidence of myopia in those age 56 and up was zero percent; in parents age 30 and up, 8 percent; in their children, 59 percent.

The same phenomenon has turned up in studies of other newly-civilized peoples, suggesting that modern life somehow causes nearsightedness. But how? Nobody knows. The shift among the Eskimoes appeared to be too sudden to be explained by genetics alone (although there is little question that a predisposition to nearsightedness is inherited). On the theory that too much close focusing while young permanently distorts the eyeball, some experts gave kids regular doses of atropine, which relaxes the eye muscles. (Eye doctors use it to dilate your pupils prior to an exam.) A few claimed this halted myopia but failed to convince many of their peers, and there was the obvious practical problem that with your eyes dilated you couldn't see for beans.

Other researchers blame dietary deficiences, e.g., not enough copper or chromium; excessive exposure to pesticides; and so on. But nothing has been proven.

Animal studies tend to support the idea that myopia is caused by eyestrain. Normal monkeys are not myopic; neither are monkeys whose eyes are kept completely sealed off from light. But monkeys whose eyes were sutured so they could see only dimly (I realize this is the kind of thing that outrages animal rights activists) did become myopic, presumably because they could see something and strained their eyes trying to see more.

The idea that the civilization means bad eyes is by no means universally accepted. The Alaska Eskimo study, for example, was criticized for not testing a random sample--presumably the main reason kids were brought to the Barrow clinic was that their parents thought they had vision problems, which of course skewed the results. Other studies have failed to find a correlation between environment and vision.

So what's a father to do? Search me, pard. If you buy the eyestrain argument you could feed the kids whale blubber and chuck the books, TV, and needlepoint lessons, but the tradeoff might not be worth it. Having to wear eyeglasses is hardly a major handicap these days whereas being an uneducated mope is. Till such time as the myopia-inducing component of civilization (if any) is isolated, you're probably best off chalking up a little nearsightedness as a small price to pay for indoor plumbing.

WhoaitsZ · 06-29-2003, 05:50 PM

if masturbation made you go blind i woulda lost all eyesight at the age of 13

Gangsta · 06-29-2003, 06:05 PM

lol, thanks guys

Liquor Dealer · 06-29-2003, 06:12 PM

I talked with my Eye Doctor the other day when I was getting new glasses and he told me that when you are starring at the monitor for a considerable length of time you don't blink as often as you should. Not blinking allows you eyes to become dry and irritated - he suggested some eyedrops to use to prevent this.

Systane - about $7.00 for 15 ml. It really does seem to help.

YourNeverThere · 06-29-2003, 09:09 PM

man the masterbation making you go blind thing makes no sense anyway, its counterevolutionary, thats like saying "the more you fuck the more you go blind" so the people who fuck the most would be blind and they would also be the people who have to most kids who would go blind too then the whole stupid race would be blind

vermin · 06-29-2003, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Can masturbation really make you blind?

Just don't shoot yourself in the eye.

spanky spangler · 06-30-2003, 01:42 PM

I went to the optician for an eye test the other day and he told me i had to give up masturbation immediately. i asked if it was affecting my eyesight. He said "No, but it's upsetting everyone else in the waiting room."

DiverDan · 06-30-2003, 07:52 PM

Reading the titty board is bad for your eyesight.

My momma always said if I kept it up I'd go blind. I didn't listen to her and damn if I don't need glasses!

LittleOralAnnie · 07-01-2003, 01:41 PM

Phredgreen, what a great way to die

I've actually had problems with my eyes if I play video games, watch TV, or spend many hours on my computer. I get fatigue, sore eyes, and a sick to my stomach feeling.

There have been notices posted all over the internet stating that due to over exposure to certain flashing lights being on the computer and/or TV's that epileptic seizures can be brought on by these circumstances. If I can find where I saw that, I'll post it for all to see.

viveleroi0 · 07-01-2003, 01:50 PM

As far as I can tell, I have a difficulty reading words that are far away, like sometimes highway signs etc.

Other than that, no issue other than adjusting to sunlight when I come out of work. No real negative impact so far.

Kllr Wolf · 07-02-2003, 12:02 PM

to me it would make sense that civilization makes nearsightedness more common. As time goes on most people do less things at a visual distance and more close up work. therefore their eyes would lsoe the less used distant vision. of course this is my untrained opinion. (heck I aint even close to being a doctor type)

Sparhawk · 07-03-2003, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by spanky spangler
I went to the optician for an eye test the other day and he told me i had to give up masturbation immediately. i asked if it was affecting my eyesight. He said "No, but it's upsetting everyone else in the waiting room."

Bwahahaha!!!

iam_immigrant · 07-09-2003, 11:00 PM

i've noticed that my eye sight is slowly degrading cuz i work in front of a pc 8hrs/day and at home pc for about 2+hrs/day.

i hope i dont need glasses, they are such a hassel.

and does carrots really help to improve eyesight??

Macheath · 07-14-2003, 03:27 AM

I'm shortsighted in one eye and longsighted in the other; they mostly compensate each other so I don't really NEED glasses for most activities, although I do lose a little depth perception - I mostly need the glasses for computer monitors and sheet music because it's at that specific distance where things are most uncomfortable.

06-29-2003, 11:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
Gangsta Upright	Eye Sight does watching tv/computer too much really worsen your eye sight? I've spoken to some people and most say no, is it true?

06-29-2003, 11:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	i don't think it worsens your eyesight per se but it can make your eyes tired, and if you already have vision problems I think it can make them seem worse temporarily. I am very farsighted, and when I've been staring at a computer for 8 hours I find that my ability to compensate for my farsightedness slacks off, even with glasss. __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France

06-29-2003, 01:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
Conclamo Ludus Modern Man Location: West Michigan	Can masturbation really make you blind? __________________ Lord, have mercy on my wicked soul I wouldn't mistreat you baby, for my weight in gold. -Son House, Death Letter Blues

06-29-2003, 04:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
The_Dude The GrandDaddy of them all! Location: Austin, TX	i think the more you watch monitors, more your long range vision goes down (dont ask me why). that's been my experience __________________ "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

06-29-2003, 06:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
Liquor Dealer Super Agitator Location: Just SW of Nowhere!!! In the good old US of A	I talked with my Eye Doctor the other day when I was getting new glasses and he told me that when you are starring at the monitor for a considerable length of time you don't blink as often as you should. Not blinking allows you eyes to become dry and irritated - he suggested some eyedrops to use to prevent this. Systane - about $7.00 for 15 ml. It really does seem to help. __________________ Life isn't always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it's more like a jar of Jalapenos --- what you say or do today might burn your ass tomorrow!!!

06-29-2003, 12:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
WhoaitsZ Crazy Location: right behind you...	i am sure someone can post statistics showing studies and what not.... as for me, i rarely have trouble with staring at a pc. a few weeks ago i had to quit IRC due to eye weakness, but that was a one time deal. i am at my pc (unless rare town/dr visit) 8 to 12+ hours a day , every day. my sight stills seems fine. now when i get in bed, for now, the monitor is quite far away and i can't make it out too well, even with huge fonts. aparantly I'm . near-sighted? I can't remember which does which. i can read and focus up close, far away is another issue altogether. BUT my eye doc has warned me for six or seven years to back off the screen. so in the long term I do not know, and honestly my body is so different than everyone elses' i'd not go by my own physical issues if i were you

06-29-2003, 12:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
Psivage Psycho	I played PS2 for about 8 hours once, the next morning my eyes were blurry. I quit playing PS2 for about 3 days, eyesight came back.

06-29-2003, 04:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
rockzilla Junkie Location: The Kitchen	Masturbation doesn't make you go blind. It's just an old wives tale. If it were true, I'd be.. uhhhhh, is there anything like being blind, but more so? Like super-blind?

06-29-2003, 05:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
WhoaitsZ Crazy Location: right behind you...	if masturbation made you go blind i woulda lost all eyesight at the age of 13

06-29-2003, 06:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
Gangsta Upright	lol, thanks guys

06-29-2003, 09:09 PM	#12 (permalink)
YourNeverThere Practical Anarchist Location: Yesterday i woke up stuck in hollywood	man the masterbation making you go blind thing makes no sense anyway, its counterevolutionary, thats like saying "the more you fuck the more you go blind" so the people who fuck the most would be blind and they would also be the people who have to most kids who would go blind too then the whole stupid race would be blind __________________ The Above post is a direct quote from Shakespeare

06-30-2003, 01:42 PM	#14 (permalink)
spanky spangler Upright	I went to the optician for an eye test the other day and he told me i had to give up masturbation immediately. i asked if it was affecting my eyesight. He said "No, but it's upsetting everyone else in the waiting room."

06-30-2003, 07:52 PM	#15 (permalink)
DiverDan Upright	Reading the titty board is bad for your eyesight. My momma always said if I kept it up I'd go blind. I didn't listen to her and damn if I don't need glasses!

07-01-2003, 01:41 PM	#16 (permalink)
LittleOralAnnie Banned	Phredgreen, what a great way to die I've actually had problems with my eyes if I play video games, watch TV, or spend many hours on my computer. I get fatigue, sore eyes, and a sick to my stomach feeling. There have been notices posted all over the internet stating that due to over exposure to certain flashing lights being on the computer and/or TV's that epileptic seizures can be brought on by these circumstances. If I can find where I saw that, I'll post it for all to see.

07-01-2003, 01:50 PM	#17 (permalink)
viveleroi0 Psycho Location: Oregon	As far as I can tell, I have a difficulty reading words that are far away, like sometimes highway signs etc. Other than that, no issue other than adjusting to sunlight when I come out of work. No real negative impact so far. __________________ "It's not that I don't understand, it's that I don't care" - Homer Simpson

07-02-2003, 12:02 PM	#18 (permalink)
Kllr Wolf Psycho Location: Lubbock, TX	to me it would make sense that civilization makes nearsightedness more common. As time goes on most people do less things at a visual distance and more close up work. therefore their eyes would lsoe the less used distant vision. of course this is my untrained opinion. (heck I aint even close to being a doctor type) __________________ Caffeine - the molecule of life.

07-09-2003, 11:00 PM	#20 (permalink)
iam_immigrant Upright Location: 49th parallel	i've noticed that my eye sight is slowly degrading cuz i work in front of a pc 8hrs/day and at home pc for about 2+hrs/day. i hope i dont need glasses, they are such a hassel. and does carrots really help to improve eyesight??

07-14-2003, 03:27 AM	#21 (permalink)
Macheath Junkie Location: Sydney, Australia	I'm shortsighted in one eye and longsighted in the other; they mostly compensate each other so I don't really NEED glasses for most activities, although I do lose a little depth perception - I mostly need the glasses for computer monitors and sheet music because it's at that specific distance where things are most uncomfortable.