Final answer:
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the visual acuity problem where close objects are seen clearly, but distant objects are blurry.
Step-by-step explanation:
The common visual acuity problem that causes someone to see closer objects better than far objects is called myopia, or nearsightedness. In this condition, distant objects appear out of focus while close objects can be seen clearly. Myopia occurs because the eye overconverges the nearly parallel rays from a distant object, causing the rays to cross in front of the retina. More divergent rays from a close object, however, are converged properly on the retina, resulting in a clear image. Myopia is quite common and is one of the typical vision defects that can usually be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.