THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES ‘THE EYE’ TO EDUCATE AMERICANS ON PROTECTING THE MOST ADVANCED TECH – THEIR EYES

This year, AOA’s Eye Deserve More campaign encourages consumers to prioritize their eye health as much as their technology

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the American Optometric Association (AOA), the leading authority on and advocate for quality eye health care, launched The Eye – an educational prototype that draws parallels between the latest technology on the market and the advanced power of our eyes, demonstrating the extraordinary capabilities of our eyes that current technology cannot replicate. The Eye is part of AOA’s multi-year awareness campaign, Eye Deserve More, which asserts that every American deserves comprehensive, in-person care from an AOA doctor of optometry as an integral part of their overall health and wellbeing.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9283851-american-optometric-association-launches-the-eye-educational-prototype/ 

Technology has become a non-negotiable part of people’s daily lives, shaping how we work, communicate, and entertain ourselves. Research has shown that 77% of Americans find it essential to have the latest technology and gadgets¹, and 49% of people feel like they need to install daily updates on their personal phone.² This trend underscores the cultural shift where being up-to-date with technology is not just a preference but a necessity for most individuals. However, while many people prioritize upgrading their tech devices, they often overlook the importance of maintaining their most advanced tech – their eyes. The growing emphasis on technology results in more screen time for its users, which can affect eye health.

“With the increasing reliance on technology, people are spending more time on their screens which can lead to digital eye strain and cause significant discomfort,” says Belinda R. Starkey, O.D., and member of the AOA Board of Trustees. “Maintaining eye health is vital at every stage of life to prevent vision loss and enhance overall wellbeing. Our Eye Deserve More campaign and The Eye serve as powerful reminders that our eyes are one of the most valuable assets we have. Prioritizing in-person, comprehensive eye exams with a doctor of optometry ensures that we can safeguard the sophisticated tech we are all born with.”

The Eye conveys the incredible complexity of the human visual system and the importance of seeing an optometrist who understands and assesses all these advanced functions. Each feature of The Eye represents real functions of the human eye, such as processing billions of pathways, recalling familiar images, and when paired with an optometrist, it can alert you to over 270 health conditions. Though The Eye is a hypothetical exploration, it underscores the unmatched capabilities of human vision and the necessity of maintaining eye health. The latest smartphones on the market don’t even come close to what our visual system can do – in comparison to 8 gigabytes of RAM and 48 megapixels, the visual system boasts 2.5 million gigabytes of RAM³ and 576 megapixels.⁴

Changing Your Perspective: The Eye’s immersive experience

To launch The Eye and this year’s Eye Deserve More campaign, AOA is hosting a multi-day pop-up event open to the general public in New York City, NY from August 23-25 at 39 Wooster St., New York, NY, 10013. This immersive and interactive experience will be intricately designed to help visitors understand the remarkable technology within their eyes. Through engaging exhibits and activities, attendees will gain a deeper appreciation for their eye health.

Explore how you can maintain your most advanced tech and delve deeper into the components of The Eye at SeeTheEye.com.

About The American Optometric Association (AOA)
The American Optometric Association (AOA) is the leading authority on and advocate for quality eye health care, representing more than 50,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and optometric professionals. As the sole primary eye care provider in many communities across America, doctors of optometry are often a patient’s first entry point into the health care system, and have extensive, ongoing training to examine, diagnose, treat and manage disorders, diseases and injuries that affect the eye and visual system. Through a nationwide public health initiative, AOA’s Eye Deserve More campaign is fostering awareness of the importance of eye health and vision care and the overall health benefits of in-person, comprehensive eye examinations with AOA doctors of optometry for all Americans.

About Eye Deserve More
Eye Deserve More is a multi-faceted national campaign that takes the stand that every American deserves in-person comprehensive care from an AOA doctor of optometry as part of their eye health and overall health and wellbeing.

About The Eye
The Eye, designed by Sebastian Arrieta, a renowned product developer, is a conceptual prototype that serves as an educational tool to highlight the immense power of human eyes and the importance of eye health. The physical components of The Eye represent real capabilities of the human eye to demonstrate a level of sophistication that current technology cannot physically replicate. This underscores the need to prioritize and care for the most advanced technology we already have in our own bodies – our eyes.

Media contacts:
Yakesha Cooper
American Optometric Association
Ycooper@aoa.org

Rachel Carpio
Edelman
Rachel.Carpio@edelman.com

References:

• Lending Tree Survey Report, 26% of Americans Have Taken on Debt for the Latest Tech, Averaging $1,492 in the Red. 2023.
• Kaspersky 2021 Digital Updates Report
• Clinical Neurology Specialists Nevada. What is the memory capacity of a human brain? https://www.cnsnevada.com/what-is-the-memory-capacity-of-a-human-brain. Accessed July 2024.
• Lotus Eye Hospital and Institute. What is the megapixel of the human eye? https://www.lotuseye.org/blog/What-is-the-megapixel-of-Human-Eye.php. Accessed July 2024.

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SOURCE American Optometric Association