A generation of mole-men

At the DMV the other day, I had a not-insignificant amount of difficulty reading the eye chart. (Don’t worry, bikers, I passed…by “not-insignificant,” I mean “it took me two tries.”) But it was just the latest in a series of signs that my eyesight is rapidly deteriorating.

This is vaguely depressing, as I used to have extraordinary eyesight. 20/15 vision, if not a little better. But now I’m barely reading 20/20. And I know I’m not alone–many of my friends report similar problems. Now, I know the plural of anecdote isn’t “data,” but still…this has to be a problem, right? Some casual Googling hasn’t turned up a definitive study saying “worthless bloggers lose their eyesight faster,” but it has to be the case, doesn’t it? Staring at a computer all day long can’t possibly be good for the eyes.

So I ask you, fair readers: Have you come across any studies linking youth eyesight problems to digital devices? And do you know a good eye doctor that takes my insurance?