A mother in Ningbo, Zhejiang, was left devastated after her son’s eyesight deteriorated by 200 degrees in just one year, despite spending nearly RM2,400 (about 4,000 yuan) on a viral eye-care floor lamp she believed would help protect his vision.
The boy, identified only as Yuanyuan (pseudonym), started Primary One in September last year. Expecting his reading and homework time to increase, his mother invested in a popular “eye-care” floor lamp after researching products marketed as being beneficial for children’s eyesight.
Unlike conventional desk lamps, the floor lamp features a dual-light design. One light illuminates the study desk, while another projects light onto the ceiling to create softer ambient lighting throughout the room. Many manufacturers claim the setup mimics natural daylight and provides a healthier lighting environment for children.
However, despite using the lamp, the boy’s uncorrected vision continued to deteriorate rapidly. After examining the child and reviewing his daily routine, doctors concluded that the main issue was not the lighting, but the amount of time he spent on close-up activities.
According to his mother, the child spent nearly two hours every afternoon doing homework after school before continuing with reading and online English classes at night. Doctors said prolonged periods of uninterrupted close-range work significantly increase the risk of myopia, regardless of the type of lighting used.
Ophthalmologist Wang Zhuoqiong said many parents mistakenly believe expensive eye-care lamps can prevent short-sightedness. While such lamps generally offer brighter illumination, better colour rendering and improved visual comfort than standard desk lamps, there is currently no clinical evidence proving they can prevent or slow the progression of myopia.
Many brands promote their products by claiming they simulate outdoor sunlight, with advertisements highlighting illumination levels exceeding 1,300 lux. However, doctors pointed out that natural daylight typically ranges from 10,000 to 100,000 lux or more, making it impossible for household lighting to replicate the protective effects of spending time outdoors.
With AI-powered eye-care lamps becoming increasingly popular, manufacturers have also introduced features such as dynamic lighting modes, blue-light filtering and added red light. These claims have attracted many concerned parents looking for ways to protect their children’s eyesight.
However, Zhao Na, director of the Ophthalmology Centre at Ningbo University Affiliated People’s Hospital, said there is no evidence that normal exposure to blue light from household lighting or electronic devices directly causes myopia or damages the eyes. She added that certified lighting products already operate within safe blue-light exposure limits, while blue-light-blocking glasses have not been proven to prevent or slow the progression of childhood myopia.
She explained that eye strain is more commonly caused by prolonged screen use, which increases the eyes’ focusing workload, reduces blinking and accelerates tear evaporation. This can lead to dry eyes, blurred vision and fatigue, all of which may contribute to worsening eyesight.
Zhao also cautioned parents not to confuse the red-light feature found in some AI lamps with medically approved red-light therapy devices. She said therapeutic red-light instruments are classified as medical devices and carry potential risks if used improperly, while there is currently insufficient scientific evidence to show that the red-light function built into household lamps can prevent or control myopia.
