The study by Naidoo et al uses a mathematical model to predict the prevalence of myopia. The authors have come up with startling numbers. It seems like myopia will be the new pandemic, with half the worlds population requiring glasses for distance vision.
What is the myopia study based on?
The study has used prevalence studies over the last decades, to predict the prevalence of myopia in the future. That is, the authors have estimated how many people will require glasses for distance vision over the next few years. In addition, they have also associated with data with extrapolations based on regional similarities in urbanization, Human Development Index, race and education.
Based on these facts, the authors predict that 35% of the world population would have myopia in 2020, and 50% by 2050.
Will half the world need distance glasses by 2050?
While there is little doubt that there has been an increase in the prevalence of myopia over time. Experts attribute it to lifestyle changes resulting from a combination of decreased time outdoors, increased near work activities and digital eye strain, we don’t know if the prediction will actually hold true. Of course, genetics has an important role to play. If your parents wear glasses, you will also probably need glasses.
One, this is a mathematical estimation that presumes all change will continue as before. Also, it presumes that there will be no acceleration or reversal of trends, and that there will be no interventions to control this. There are several other confounding factors that will finally determine the prevalence of myopia in future.
Thirty years is a long time, and technologies to counter the detrimental effects of all that puts us at risk are in evolution. And given the changes we have seen in the last 30 years, it will be irrational to actually believe that there will be none over the next 30.
What we do know for a fact, though, beyond the world of mathematical models, is that we need to take care of our eyes better. And especially for the children. And that a healthier lifestyle is essential for healthier eyes.
The relationship between ethnicity and myopia risk is examined in depth in Dr Bhartiya’s editorial, The Ethnicity Blind Spot: Why Race-Neutral Myopia Guidelines Are Failing South and East Asian Children, published in Clinical and Experimental Vision and Eye Research in 2026. South and East Asian children develop myopia earlier, progress faster, and reach higher degrees of myopia than Western cohorts — yet most clinical guidelines have not caught up with this evidence.
What can we do to keep our eyes safe from myopia?
These tips are especially important for all those who read a lot, and also for those who work for long hours on the computer.
- Minimise your screen time: One of the most important causes for myopia is prolonged near work. With the digital revolution, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the screen time has increased for all of us.
- Think and blink: You must remember to blink more often. This helps to redistribute the tear film over the surface of the eye.
- 20/20/20 rule: Since prolonged near work can result in a convergence spasm, one must take frequent breaks. In fact, you must close your eyes for twenty seconds after every 20 minutes of screen time or near work. After that, blink, and look at something at least 20 feet away for twenty seconds. This helps the eye muscles relax, eases of the convergence spasm, and also redistributes the tear film over the eyes.
- Spend time outdoors: Exposure to sunshine and playing outdoors has been linked with decreased need for distance glasses. Therefore, it is important to make time for outdoor activities as well.
This article is a part of the Myopia in Children hub. Please read Myopia in Children, Low Dose Atropine for Myopia, Do Myopia Control Lenses Work, and Myopia Prevention in Children. Also read Myopia in Teenagers.
This page is also a part of the Eye Care for Children hub. You may also want to read about Eye Specialist for Children, Routine Eye Exam for Children, Lazy Eye, and How to Choose Glasses for Children. Please also read Children’s Eye Care, Nutrition, Are Children’s Eyes More Vulnerable, Lazy Eye, and Eye Care Tips for Screen Use, and 7 Ways to Take Care of Your Child’s Eye Health also may be of interest.
You may want to see some eye care tips for children here, here, and here.
About the Author
This article was written by Dr Shibal Bhartiya, fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist and Mayo Clinic Research Collaborator, Clinical Director at Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram, known for ethical, patient-centred glaucoma care and independent glaucoma second opinions. She is also the Program Director for Community Outreach & Wellness; and for the Marengo Asia International Institute of Neuro and Spine.
She has published peer-reviewed research onglaucoma management, examining how treatment decisions should balance medical evidence, patient preferences, and long-term vision outcomes.
As Editor-in-Chief of Clinical and Experimental Vision and Eye Research and Executive Editor of the Journal of Current Glaucoma Practice (Pubmed Indexed, official journal of the International Society of Glaucoma Surgery), Dr Shibal Bhartiya brings editorial and research depth to every clinical decision. Her 200+ publications, including 90+ PubMed-indexed publications and 28 edited textbooks span glaucoma biology, surgical outcomes, health equity, and emerging diagnostics.
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