An increased susceptibility to developing myopia, shortsightedness, is thought to be a consequence of spending time doing "near work," in which the eye is focused on an object, such as a book or computer, less than two feet away. What is the most likely evolutionary explanation for this phenomenon?

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As humans evolved, they spent the majority of their time engaged in activities such as hunting and gathering, which required distance vision. With the advent of agriculture and modern technologies, humans are spending more time engaging in near work, which is a relatively recent development in evolutionary terms. As a result, natural selection has not had enough time to adapt to these changes in the environment, leading to an increased susceptibility to myopia.

An Increased Susceptibility to Developing Myopia, Shortsightedness, Is Thought to Be