Big Foot, the Loch Ness monster, the chupacabra all cryptids discussed in hushed ‘what if’s’.
In a few decades, we may have to add another to the list: 20/20 vision.
Nearsightedness, or myopia, is becoming increasingly common worldwide. The likely causes are extended near focus, such as looking at screens, and spending less time spent outside, said Dr. Karen Hodgins, an optometrist working in Calgary.
“When you’re looking at something, the closer it is, the harder the muscle is working,” she said. “If you’re looking at something far away … your eyes are doing far less work.”
Because their eyes are still growing, kids and teens are more likely to develop myopia. The COVID-19 pandemic made matters worse, when kids of all ages sat in front of computers to attend their classes or chat with their friends.
Four years later, many who were young teens during the COVID-19 restrictions are now attending post-secondary.
“I got glasses during the pandemic,” said Palak, a first-year international student at SAIT. “During the pandemic, I got my first mobile phone.
“I was spending the whole day on the mobile phone and laptop.”
Keeping up with regular eye exams gets harder and harder when students enter post-secondary. Tuition is expensive, and many students age out of their parent’s healthcare plan while they’re in school.
This is all in addition to a hefty course load, and for some, the demands of work and family.
“Students are extremely busy,” said Hodgins. “I think they’re very good at compensating [for poor eyesight]. You just go sit in the front row of class.”
To combat these challenges, many post-secondary institutions have health care benefits through student unions. Students pay a student association fee as part of their tuition, which goes towards their healthcare benefits.
At the University of Calgary, for instance, students can get 100 per cent coverage up to $50 for an eye exam, and up to $150 for glasses.
“Due to [students’] academic commitments, they often can’t maintain the kind of employment that would entitle them to benefits independently,” Naomie Bakana, vice-president internal for the University of Calgary Student Union, said in an emailed statement. “That’s why the SU’s health and dental plan provides this safety net at a transitional point in their lives.”
SAIT is another institution with a healthcare plan through the student association, SAITSA.
SAIT students enjoy vision coverage similar to their University of Calgary counterparts, but they have up to $100 in coverage for eye exams.
Unlike the University of Calgary, SAIT doesn’t have an on-campus eye clinic actively reminding students about their vision coverage through catchy advertisements. At most, there’s a few posters on already-packed bulletin boards.
“I never really knew about it,” said first-year SAIT business student Mark Peneyra, who wears glasses.
