WOW! Here we are in the year 2020, the last year of a decade that saw an unprecedented acceleration of computing technology, which gave us smaller, faster, smarter and more powerful devices. We now have 24/7 access to a computer/camera/phone that fits in the palm of our hand—irrevocably changing our connectivity and interactivity with the world. We hold in the palm of our hand access to the internet and apps that allow us to run our lives from anywhere and even on the go. We can run businesses, work, research, schedule appointments, monitor our fitness, access health records, manage finances, buy stocks or cryptocurrencies, shop, date, play, socialize, video chat… the possibilities are too extensive to list all.

A consequence of this new screen focused existence is increased and concentrated near focus, shortening attention spans, less verbal communication and less focus on the physical world we navigate daily. So integrated into our daily lives are our handheld attention magnets that we walk and even climb stairs without ever breaking the visual link and concentration. The postural changes, as well as the visual requirements associated with these backlit pixelated screens, have created a need for specific vision correction to address our small screen focused dynamic visual demands. Corrective lens technology must now account for reading while moving. Accommodation requirements change with our heads rotated forward with a change in gaze angles to view handheld device screens. Viewing distances are different from the standard working distance for reading. Visual correction must change to address our new visual habits, and it must adapt as we age. With age, our convergence-accommodative response changes along with other physiological changes affecting vision. To learn more about a new portfolio of lenses that address postural and dynamic vision changes and age-dependent convergence-accommodative response and physiological changes, read this month’s CE, “SmartLife: The Evolution of Lens Design for Dynamic Connectivity” or access at 2020mag.com/ce.

• Deborah Kotob
Pro to Pro Director
[email protected]