Calls to cut screen use as one in three children now shortsighted

More than one in three children and teenagers worldwide are shortsighted, according to the largest study of its kind, prompting urgent calls to encourage less screen time and more physical activity.

- Andrew Gregory

Shortsightedness, or myopia, is an eye condition where someone cannot see objects far away clearly. It is usually corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Experts are unsure why it occurs but studies have shown that children who use computers or smart devices for long periods are at greater risk. Some say that spending more time outdoors can help.

The most comprehensive global analysis to date reveals a dramatic increase in myopia over the past three decades, with the toll of myopia among children and teenagers set to top 740m cases by 2050. Girls, children or teenagers living in urban areas, are more likely to develop the condition, according to the analysis published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.