Doctors warned: for children aged 6-7, 15 minutes of screen time a day threatens myopia.

      Specialists from the NMIC "MNTK 'Eye Microsurgery' named after Academician S. N. Fyodorov" draw parents' attention to a critical figure. Head of the children's department Marina Mitronina explained that at the age of 6-7, children's visual systems are still forming, and any overloads have a cumulative effect. Exceeding 15 minutes of daily gadget use triggers pathological processes that can lead to myopia in the long term.

      Adult statistics, meanwhile, show an equally alarming picture, but for different reasons. Most often, Russians aged 35-44 visit ophthalmologists — this group accounts for 32% of all visits. The most acute period occurs at ages 40-45, when one in five visits is diagnosed. At this age, the primary diagnosis is presbyopia, or age-related farsightedness, caused by the loss of lens elasticity. A significant portion also includes patients aged 45-54 (23%), youth aged 25-34 (17%), and the group aged 55-64 (13%).

      The dynamics over the past two years show that the problem is not weakening. In the first half of 2025, the number of visits decreased by 11.3% compared to the peak in 2024, when Russia ranked among the top three countries with the worst vision among youth. However, by 2026, the flow of patients increased by 9.3%, and the total number of visits over two years decreased by only 3%. Experts link this wave-like pattern to external factors: first, increased interest in the problem triggered a diagnostic boom, followed by a temporary decline, but by 2026, the cumulative effect of digital loads became evident, bringing indicators back to nearly the level of two years ago. As noted by Lyudmila Strakhova, deputy director of the loss regulation department at the "Soglasie" insurance company, this indicates a systemic rather than a one-time nature of the problem.

      At the same time, the insurance company records a high share of primary preventive visits. People are increasingly coming for scheduled check-ups without complaints — this indicates a growing awareness of the importance of regular vision checks.

      Doctors remind us: the risks of vision deterioration exist for everyone, especially in conditions of total digitalization. Laser correction today costs an average of 80-90 thousand rubles, an ophthalmologist's appointment with diagnostics starts from 20 thousand, and the cost of inpatient surgical treatment can be even higher. Regular prevention remains the most accessible and reliable way to preserve vision for many years.