New Research Links Myopia to Indoor Eye Usage

Study suggests myopia may be driven less by screens and more by prolonged close-up focus in low-light environments.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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New research from scientists at the SUNY College of Optometry suggests that myopia, or nearsightedness, may be driven less by screens themselves and more by a common indoor visual habit: prolonged close-up focus in low-light environments, which limits how much light reaches the retina. The study proposes a unifying neuronal mechanism that could help explain why various factors, from near work and dim indoor lighting to treatments like atropine drops and time spent outdoors, all appear to influence myopia progression.

Why it matters

Myopia has reached near-epidemic levels worldwide, yet the underlying causes are not fully understood. This new research offers a hypothesis that could lead to a paradigm shift in how we understand and treat myopia, focusing on the role of retinal illumination and accommodative pupil constriction rather than just screen time.

The details

The researchers found that when people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets, or books, the pupil can constrict not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image. In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination, leading to the development of myopia. Conversely, myopia does not develop when the eye is exposed to bright light and the pupil constriction is regulated by image brightness instead of viewing distance.

  • The research will be published on February 17, 2026 at 11:00 am (Eastern Time) in Cell Reports.

The players

Jose-Manuel Alonso

SUNY Distinguished Professor and senior author of the study.

Urusha Maharjan

SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study.

SUNY College of Optometry

The institution where the research was conducted.

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What they’re saying

“Myopia has reached near-epidemic levels worldwide, yet we still don't fully understand why. Our findings suggest that a common underlying factor may be how much light reaches the retina during sustained near work — particularly indoors.”

— Jose-Manuel Alonso, SUNY Distinguished Professor and senior author of the study (Cell Reports)

“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina. When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets, or books, the pupil can also constrict, not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image. In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”

— Urusha Maharjan, SUNY Optometry doctoral student (Cell Reports)

What’s next

The researchers state that more research is needed to further test and validate the proposed mechanism, but they believe it offers a new way to think about the prevention and treatment of myopia.

The takeaway

This research suggests that myopia may be driven less by screens themselves and more by the common indoor habit of prolonged close-up focus in low-light environments, which can limit retinal illumination. Understanding this underlying mechanism could lead to new approaches to myopia prevention and control.