Super Bowl Commercials to Screen for Vision Problems

Strategic Insights -

While millions of viewers will gather to watch the upcoming Super Bowl, a unique opportunity to screen for vision problems will unfold in the form of two critically acclaimed 3D commercials. The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) warns that up to 56% of viewers aged 18-38 may experience difficulty seeing 3D due to binocular vision problems. Furthermore, approximately 5-7% of children are born with amblyopia (lazy eye) that prevents them from seeing 3D altogether.

Key Takeaways:

  • Up to 56% of viewers aged 18-38 may experience difficulty seeing 3D due to binocular vision problems.
  • Approximately 5-7% of children are born with amblyopia (lazy eye) that prevents them from seeing 3D altogether.
  • Vision problems such as amblyopia, strabismus (crossed eyes), and convergence insufficiency can cause difficulty with 3D vision.
  • Neuroscientists have demonstrated the brain's plasticity, confirming that one can attain stereo vision even as adults through optometric vision therapy.
  • Sue Barry, PhD, an associate professor at Mount Holyoke College, was able to gain stereo vision as an adult after a year of vision therapy.
  • Gaining stereo vision can provide an "incredible sense of being immersed in the space around you."
  • Optometric vision therapy is a program of prescribed procedures to change and improve visual performance and can be used to treat various functional vision problems.
  • Developmental optometrists specialize in visual development, prevention of vision problems, enhancement of visual skills, and rehabilitation of various functional vision problems.

Statistics:

  • Up to 56% of viewers aged 18-38 may experience difficulty seeing 3D due to binocular vision problems.
  • Approximately 5-7% of children are born with amblyopia (lazy eye) that prevents them from seeing 3D altogether.
  • 100% of viewers who experience difficulty seeing 3D may have a vision problem.
  • 1 year of vision therapy can result in the gain of stereo vision, as seen in the case of Sue Barry, PhD.

Sources:

  • College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD)
  • COVD President, Dr. Carol Scott, optometrist from Springfield, MO
  • Sue Barry, PhD, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Mount Holyoke College
  • Oliver Sacks, MD, neurologist and author of the New Yorker article featuring Sue Barry's story
  • Theresa Ruggiero, PhD, optometrist and Fellow of COVD
  • COVD open access journal, Optometry & Vision Development
  • Mount Holyoke College
  • The New Yorker (June, 2006)