Dr Sherylle Calder: Vision

Everyone knows the importance of training the body. Some people value training the mind. But how many of us train our eyes? This week Simon sits down with Dr Sherylle Calder, creator of the ‘eye gym’ and the world’s top visual skills coach who helped England lift the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and South Africa win it in 2007. She’s now back with England rugby, and has noticed a radical drop in the skills in elite athletes over the last six years, which has coincided with the increased use of smartphones and social media. But it’s not just elite athletes who are being affected, it’s affecting reading and comprehension skills in schools, it’s making drivers drive worse and it’s affecting productivity in business. People are training themselves to be distracted by smartphones, which she refers to as ‘digital cocaine’. Simon and Sherylle explore just how serious the situation is, and what you can do to minimise the risk you face from your phone.