Eye exercises cannot improve vision; they only help prevent myopia! Many factors contribute to myopia, the most significant being poor eye hygiene and prolonged eye strain. This keeps the eyes' focusing and convergence mechanisms in a state of tension for extended periods, eventually leading to nearsightedness.Eye exercises are preventive measures against myopia, integrating techniques from traditional Chinese medicine such as massage, acupuncture, and acupressure based on the principles causing nearsightedness.
By massaging meridians at acupoints, eye exercises trigger conditioned reflexes that relieve tension in the eyes' accommodation and convergence systems, restoring their functions. Traditional Chinese medicine refers to this effect as "unblocking meridians and harmonizing qi and blood." Similar to the circulatory system, the meridian system is distributed throughout the entire body. Any obstruction in a specific area can lead to disease.Eye exercises achieve this by massaging acupoints to clear obstructions, unblocking meridians to enhance blood circulation. This constitutes a form of physical therapy. The subtle stimulation from acupoint massage, through neural reflexes, boosts overall tissue metabolism, improves blood flow, relieves accommodation and convergence strain, and restores physiological functions—thus preventing myopia.Therefore, eye exercises represent a scientifically grounded method for preventing myopia. Consistent practice with precise acupressure techniques can effectively ward off nearsightedness.Recently, a Weibo post questioning the effectiveness of eye exercises went viral. Many netizens expressed astonishment and lamented, "What a waste of time!" Journalists found experts hold differing views. Some experts noted that while the post was somewhat "extreme," it wasn't entirely without merit.
The "ineffectiveness theory" of eye exercises is not a new topic.For many netizens, the contrast between "China being the only country in the world that does eye exercises" and "China having the world's second-highest myopia rate and the largest number of myopic people" makes questioning eye exercises logically similar to questioning the effectiveness of the Golden Circle or certain oral liquids in the past. It's not that there's anything inherently wrong with the exercises themselves, but rather the staggering number of myopic people has "disproved" the value of eye exercises.
According to statistics from China Eye Health Network, myopia affects 30% of the national population, with urban rates reaching 33%. Among students, 30% of elementary school children wear glasses, 50% of middle school students, and a staggering 75% of college students—ranking China second globally and 1.5 times the world average.Statistics reveal that China has 360 million myopic individuals, making it the world's largest myopia population. More alarmingly, all these figures continue to rise. In this context, no matter how well-intentioned the original purpose of promoting eye exercises may have been, it is difficult to convince anyone of their effectiveness.
To be precise, eye exercises have neither been scientifically proven to improve vision nor been definitively shown to be entirely harmless. Given this uncertainty, we must identify the true causes behind China's alarmingly high myopia rates.Research indicates that while multiple factors contribute to myopia, two primary causes stand out: genetic predisposition and environmental influences. Among environmental factors, the most significant is the amount of time spent outdoors daily and weekly. It is therefore indisputable that the heavy academic workload bears the primary responsibility for China's high myopia rates.Fundamentally, the overwhelming dominance of exam-oriented education has rendered all myths surrounding eye exercises obsolete. Moreover, it has spawned a lucrative industry—the eyewear business. In the face of this unrivaled exam-driven system and heavy academic load, any claims about treating or alleviating myopia inevitably appear exaggerated. It's not that eye exercises are useless; it's that exam-oriented education is exceptionally fierce.In this context, eye exercises confined to classrooms—preventing students from stepping onto the playground—inevitably become the scapegoat for skyrocketing myopia rates. Thus, setting aside debates about their efficacy, the current educational consensus should be: get children out of classrooms, onto playgrounds, and into sunlight. Increase physical education classes and recess time.