More than one in three children and adolescents worldwide were estimated to have myopia in 2023, according to a large analysis published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The researchers projected that prevalence could approach 40 per cent by 2050, but the figures varied greatly across regions and study methods.
Myopia makes distant objects look blurred
A nearsighted eye focuses incoming light in front of the retina, commonly because the eyeball has grown too long. Glasses or contact lenses correct focus but do not reverse the underlying eye shape.
Children may squint, sit close to a screen or board, complain of headaches, or avoid tasks that require distance vision. Some have no obvious complaint and need screening.
The study combined hundreds of datasets
Researchers analysed 276 studies involving more than 5.4 million participants from 50 countries across six continents. They estimated an increase in childhood myopia over recent decades.
Combining studies expands coverage but introduces differences in age, diagnostic thresholds, sampling and examination methods. The headline estimate is therefore a modelled global summary, not a count of every child.
East Asian countries reported especially high rates
School-age myopia is extremely common in several urban East Asian populations. Rates were lower in some African and Latin American datasets, though access to examinations and research coverage also differed.
Ethnicity can influence susceptibility, but rapid changes within a generation show that genes alone cannot explain the rise.
Education and near work are associated factors
Long periods of close visual work and intensive schooling correlate with myopia. Phones and tablets contribute to near focus, but books, homework and other indoor tasks existed before smartphones.
Screen use should not be treated as the only cause. The pattern reflects interacting biology, environment, education and daily routine.
Outdoor time appears protective
Children who spend more time outdoors tend to have a lower risk of developing myopia. Brighter light and looking across longer distances may influence eye growth.
Public-health guidance often encourages roughly two hours outdoors each day where practical, with sun and traffic safety. Outdoor time helps prevent onset more clearly than it reverses established myopia.
High myopia can threaten eye health
Most nearsighted people see well with correction, but stronger myopia raises lifetime risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataract and myopic macular damage. That makes slowing progression medically meaningful.
Sudden flashes, many new floaters or a curtain over vision require urgent eye assessment because they can signal a retinal tear or detachment.
Treatment can slow progression in selected children
Specially designed contact lenses, spectacle lenses and low-dose atropine drops have evidence for myopia control. Benefits, side effects, age and availability differ.
An optometrist or ophthalmologist should guide treatment and monitor growth. Ordinary glasses remain essential for clear vision even when a control strategy is used.
Families can act without alarm
Regular eye examinations, outdoor play, good lighting and breaks from sustained near work are reasonable steps. The 20-20-20 practice—looking about 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes—may reduce strain, though it is not a guaranteed myopia cure.
The study’s message was not that screens inevitably damage every child’s eyes. It showed a growing, unequal public-health issue that needs screening, accessible correction, better outdoor opportunities and continuing research.
