The Myopia Epidemic in Children — Why Screens Are Only Part of the Problem

This is not just an impression. It is a documented trend that specialists worldwide directly refer to as an epidemic.

The scale of the problem is larger than most parents realize

According to the latest data, half of children in Poland aged 3–15 have visual impairments, and among them, as many as 58% struggle with myopia. This is not a marginal issue or one that affects only a select group of children — it is a problem that impacts every other child in Polish schools.

The direction of change is also concerning. Just a few years ago, myopia was most commonly diagnosed in nine- and ten-year-olds — today, it is already being recognized in children at the beginning of primary school, that is, those aged seven to eight. The condition is not only appearing more frequently but also earlier — and the younger the child at the time of diagnosis, the longer the condition can develop and the greater the values it can ultimately reach.

On a global scale, the perspective is equally serious. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2050, the issue of myopia could affect half of humanity.

Why "it's just screens" is too simplistic an explanation

Screens are an easy scapegoat — and they do matter. But reducing the entire problem to "too much phone use" overlooks something more important: the mechanism through which myopia develops is deeper than just the time spent looking at a screen.

A child's eye grows along with them. Under ideal conditions, the eyeball elongates harmoniously, and the light entering the eye focuses precisely on the retina. Myopia occurs when this growth is too rapid — then the image of distant objects focuses in front of the retina rather than on it, resulting in a blurred effect.

Several factors influence this process simultaneously:

Genetics — if one parent is myopic, the risk for the child increases; if both are, the risk increases even more.

Lack of natural daylight — this is one of the best-documented protective factors in research on this topic. Children who spend a lot of time outdoors in natural light are less likely to develop myopia — regardless of how much time they spend close to text or screens.

Excessive "near work" — and this is not just screens. It also includes long hours spent over books, notebooks, or drawing. The screen is one element here, but not the only one.

Lack of breaks and changes in viewing distance — an eye that focuses for hours on close distances without a break for looking into the distance works under constant accommodative stress.

In other words: the screen itself is not to blame, but rather the entire lifestyle in which the child rarely looks far away, seldom goes outside, and where near visual work (in any form) dominates the rest of the day.

What truly helps — and what science says about it

The good news: myopia cannot be reversed, but its progression can be slowed down, and most importantly — the risk of its occurrence can be reduced through simple, well-documented habits recommended by organizations such as the Polish Ophthalmological Society and international vision health organizations:

• At least two hours a day outdoors in natural light — this is one of the strongest protective factors known to today's science
• Limiting "near work" time to a reasonable level, with regular breaks
• The 20-20-20 Rule — every 20 minutes of near work, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds
• Regular eye check-ups — because a child with a slight impairment often does not report any issues, simply not knowing that they could see better

It is also worth debunking the harmful myth that still circulates among parents: incomplete correction does not "protect" the eyes from becoming lazy — on the contrary, a child constantly looking at a blurred image puts even more strain on the visual system.

This is not a battle to be fought in the office

The biggest challenge is not the lack of knowledge about what helps — but implementing this amidst the chaos of daily life. It is easy to say "two hours outdoors and breaks every 20 minutes," but harder to maintain when the child has lessons, tutoring, and the parent is working remotely and doesn't remember their own breaks.

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