We spend hours looking at screens — our phones, tablets, laptops and televisions. And for children, that screen time is increasingly happening from a very young age. But could the way we live —
spending more time indoors and focusing on things close to our faces — actually be changing the way our eyes develop? We’re talking about myopia, or short-sightedness, where people can see things close up but struggle to see clearly in the distance. It is becoming increasingly common around the world, particularly among children and young people. One widely cited global projection estimates that by 2050, almost half of the world’s population could be myopic — close to five billion people.
And this isn't simply about needing a stronger pair of glasses. Severe myopia can increase the risk of serious eye conditions, including retinal problems and retinal detachment. So, as we mark
Eye Care Awareness Month, we're asking: are we raising a generation that is becoming increasingly short-sighted — and what can parents and adults do about it?

We spend hours looking at screens &mdash; our phones, tablets, laptops&nbsp;and televisions. And for children, that screen time is increasingly&nbsp;happening from a very young age. But could the way we live &mdash; spending more time indoors and focusing on things close to our&nbsp;faces &mdash; actually be changing the way our eyes develop?&nbsp;We&rsquo;re talking about myopia, or short-sightedness, where people&nbsp;can see things close up but struggle to see clearly in the distance. It&nbsp;is becoming increasingly common around the world, particularly&nbsp;among children and young people. One widely cited global&nbsp;projection estimates that by 2050, almost half of the world&rsquo;s&nbsp;population could be myopic &mdash; close to five billion people. And this isn't simply about needing a stronger pair of glasses.&nbsp;Severe myopia can increase the risk of serious eye conditions,&nbsp;including retinal problems and retinal detachment. So, as we mark Eye Care Awareness Month, we're asking: are we raising a&nbsp;generation that is becoming increasingly short-sighted &mdash; and&nbsp;what can parents and adults do about it?

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Are Our Screens Changing Our Eyes? The Global Rise of  Myopia

South Africa is a country that has experienced a tremendous amount of loss. We lose people to illness, accidents, crime, suicide and violence — and for many families, one loss can come before
they have even had the opportunity to process the one that came before it. Yet life carries on. We go back to work, we raise our children, we pay the bills and somehow, we are expected to keep
functioning. So what does all of this loss do to us emotionally? Are we actually processing our grief, or have we become accustomed to simply carrying it? And is there such a thing as a country becoming
collectively exhausted from grief? Today, we want to look at how we are grieving as a nation — the
ways we deal with loss, the things we don't talk about, and whether some of us are carrying unresolved grief without even realising it. We're joined by psychologist, author and mental-health advocate Dr. Better, whose new book Reflections of a Grieving Therapist draws on her years of helping people navigate pain and loss, as well as her own experience of grief.

South Africa is a country that has experienced a tremendous&nbsp;amount of loss. We lose people to illness, accidents, crime, suicide&nbsp;and violence &mdash; and for many families, one loss can come before they have even had the opportunity to process the one that came&nbsp;before it. Yet life carries on. We go back to work, we raise our&nbsp;children, we pay the bills and somehow, we are expected to keep functioning.&nbsp;So what does all of this loss do to us emotionally? Are we actually&nbsp;processing our grief, or have we become accustomed to simply&nbsp;carrying it? And is there such a thing as a country becoming collectively exhausted from grief?&nbsp;Today, we want to look at how we are grieving as a nation &mdash; the ways we deal with loss, the things we don't talk about, and whether&nbsp;some of us are carrying unresolved grief without even realising it.&nbsp;We're joined by psychologist, author and mental-health advocate Dr.&nbsp;Better, whose new book Reflections of a Grieving Therapist draws&nbsp;on her years of helping people navigate pain and loss, as well as&nbsp;her own experience of grief.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: HOW ARE WE GRIEVING AS A COUNTRY?

South Africa’s confirmed Mpox cases have now risen from 18 to 22, with four new laboratory-confirmed infections recorded as of Tuesday. The majority of the cases are concentrated in the Western Cape, which accounts for 18 of the 22 cases, while Gauteng has recorded three and KwaZulu-Natal one. One of the newly confirmed cases is a 47-year-old man from Cape Town who had travelled to Spain earlier this month and was initially classified as a probable case while authorities waited for laboratory results. The other new infections include two imported cases involving a
German and a Norwegian citizen. The Department of Health says it is working with the NICD, the WHO and provincial health authorities on contact tracing and enhanced surveillance. So, while the
numbers remain relatively small, authorities are watching the situation closely, particularly because cases are being detected across more than one province. What does this increase mean for
the public, how does Mpox spread, what symptoms should people be looking out for, and at what point should someone seek medical attention?

South Africa&rsquo;s confirmed Mpox cases have now risen from 18 to 22,&nbsp;with four new laboratory-confirmed infections recorded as of&nbsp;Tuesday. The majority of the cases are concentrated in the Western&nbsp;Cape, which accounts for 18 of the 22 cases, while Gauteng has&nbsp;recorded three and KwaZulu-Natal one. One of the newly confirmed&nbsp;cases is a 47-year-old man from Cape Town who had travelled to&nbsp;Spain earlier this month and was initially classified as a probable&nbsp;case while authorities waited for laboratory results.&nbsp;The other new infections include two imported cases involving a German and a Norwegian citizen. The Department of Health says it&nbsp;is working with the NICD, the WHO and provincial health authorities on contact tracing and enhanced surveillance. So, while the numbers remain relatively small, authorities are watching the&nbsp;situation closely, particularly because cases are being detected&nbsp;across more than one province. What does this increase mean for the public, how does Mpox spread, what symptoms should&nbsp;people be looking out for, and at what point should someone&nbsp;seek medical attention?

Mpox Cases Rise to 22 in South Africa: What You Need to Know

With just 42 days to go before South Africans head to the polls for the local government elections, political parties and independent candidates have now put pen to paper, committing themselves to
the IEC’s Electoral Code of Conduct. On the face of it, signing a code may sound like a routine part of the election calendar — but this is essentially a commitment about how political parties conduct themselves between now and Election Day. The Code requires contestants to reject political violence,
intimidation and threats, respect voters and opponents, and campaign in a way that allows South Africans to make their choices freely. And this year, there is another major issue on the table:
disinformation. The IEC’s new provisions require parties and candidates to verify information before sharing it and to correct false or misleading information within 36 hours of becoming aware of it.
So, what does this commitment actually mean for political parties on the ground? What happens when a party or candidate crosses the line? And, importantly, in an election increasingly fought on social
media, how do we distinguish robust political debate from misinformation and deliberate attempts to mislead voters? Those are some of the questions we’re putting to our guest today.

With just 42 days to go before South Africans head to the polls for&nbsp;the local government elections, political parties and independent&nbsp;candidates have now put pen to paper, committing themselves to the IEC&rsquo;s Electoral Code of Conduct.&nbsp;On the face of it, signing a code may sound like a routine part of the&nbsp;election calendar &mdash; but this is essentially a commitment about how&nbsp;political parties conduct themselves between now and Election Day.&nbsp;The Code requires contestants to reject political violence, intimidation and threats, respect voters and opponents, and&nbsp;campaign in a way that allows South Africans to make their choices&nbsp;freely. And this year, there is another major issue on the table: disinformation. The IEC&rsquo;s new provisions require parties and&nbsp;candidates to verify information before sharing it and to correct false&nbsp;or misleading information within 36 hours of becoming aware of it. So, what does this commitment actually mean for political parties on&nbsp;the ground? What happens when a party or candidate crosses the&nbsp;line? And, importantly, in an election increasingly fought on social media, how do we distinguish robust political debate from&nbsp;misinformation and deliberate attempts to mislead voters? Those&nbsp;are some of the questions we&rsquo;re putting to our guest today.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Are Our Screens Changing Our Eyes? The Global Rise of Myopia

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