Fisiología de la Acomodación y Desarrollo Visual Infantil: mecanismos, impactos, educación y cultura para su preservación por los padres y familiares en las escuelas

This article establishes a link between the physiology of pediatric eye development and the consequences of the indiscriminate use of mobile technologies. It is based on the premise that the visual system is not "born mature" but rather undergoes a process of emmetropization characterized by a rapid exponential phase during the first two years of life, followed by a slower quadratic phase up to age eight (Schaeffel & Swiatczak, 2024). Prolonged screen exposure interferes with these biological mechanisms; evidence shows that sustained screen time induces accommodative fatigue due to the sustained contraction of the ciliary muscle, reduces blink frequency from 12 to 6 blinks per minute—thereby compromising the tear film (Talens-Estarelles et al., 2022; Zou et al., 2025)—and displaces time spent outdoors, depriving the retina of the natural light that stimulates dopamine production and inhibits axial elongation (Ashby et al., 2025). Recent research even hypothesizes a potential effect of blue-light filters on ocular axial growth (Ong & Mohd Khialdin, 2025). Technology is not inherently harmful, but its indiscriminate use acts as a modifiable risk factor (Ellis Sandoval et al., 2025). All of the above places family members and guardians in a position of significant responsibility, prompting reflection on the extent to which decisions—whether informed or driven by mere inertia—may be detrimental; it underscores that every minute spent on a screen is a minute the child is not looking at the horizon or engaging in proper visual activity, an essential element for their subsequent developmental stages.