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My eyesight has gotten worse over the year too, and for a long time I wanted to blame my phone for it. But honestly, it's not that straightforward. Research shows that constantly focusing on close distances is a general problem - whether it's your phone, computer, or books matters less. Your eye gets used to the proximity and the ciliary muscle (which is responsible for focusing) becomes sluggish. That can actually worsen myopia, but not necessarily because it's a phone.
However, there are other factors that play a much bigger role: genetics is huge - if your parents are nearsighted, the chances are very high that you will be too and that it'll get worse. And spending less time outside in sunlight is another major one. There are actually studies showing that daylight (specifically UV light) slows down the elongation of the eyeball. That's probably a stronger effect than your phone.
What you can actually do: take regular breaks when looking at close distances, get outside when possible, and give your eyes some distance. The 20-20-20 rule helps a lot of people - every 20 minutes, look at something 20 meters away for 20 seconds. But honestly, if myopia runs in your family, your phone probably isn't the main culprit. Get your eyes checked anyway if you haven't already.
It's not quite as straightforward as it's often made out to be. Yes, lots of screen time can cause eye strain and make your eyes tire faster, but that's not why your myopia is actually getting worse. The real deterioration in your vision is genetic - if your parents are nearsighted, the chances are extremely high that you will be too. Your phone might speed up the process a bit, but it's not the main culprit.
What your phone really does: it forces your eyes to constantly focus up close. Some studies suggest that this constant near-focusing could speed up myopia in genetically predisposed people - but that's still not 100% clear. Much more important, though, is how you use your phone. If you spend time outside (really important!), that helps slow down the deterioration. Being indoors constantly staring at your screen without taking breaks is worse for you. See if you can use the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 meters away for 20 seconds 👀
So: your phone isn't the villain, but it's not harmless either. Your genes determine whether your myopia gets worse - but how you treat your eyes can influence the process.
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