Digital demands of Gen Next

Even readers without Generation Next family members need only to take a ride on a bus or train to see that the visual habits of the younger generation have been very much influenced by their viewing of digital screens, whether they be on smartphones, tablets, computers or game consoles. This has been a point of interest for corrective lens designers, as the way we use our eyes should be reflected in the design of any optical correction.

There have been many efforts to try to quantify visual behavioural changes over recent years. One such study from Essilor¹ suggested closer working distances are now being adopted and related to the type of digital device under view. Smaller devices require greater eye declination and also smaller font resolution (figure 1). Postural data (eye-screen distance, eye declination angle, head rotation and roll angle) were measured and analysed with a motion capture system (known as Vicon), which employed eight synchronised infrared cameras that can capture the coordinates (X, Y and Z) of retro-reflective markers in real time. The results confirmed that subjects interacting with digital devices maintain a highly static, even rigid, posture.