More Kids Than Ever Need Glasses
Rates of nearsightedness are on the rise—and most parents don’t even know it.
It wasn’t a surprise when the optometrist told us that my youngest needed glasses. She comes from a long line of four-eyed folks. Basically, her entire family, on both sides, wear glasses. So, helping Maisie to pick out her first pair two years ago felt like nothing more than a rite of passage, and I was delighted to see my little one in her bright pink glasses for the first time.
What has been a shock is how quickly her nearsightedness has progressed, not to mention the lengths we’ve gone to try to slow her myopia progression, including eye drops every single night at bedtime and shelling out big bucks for special lenses for her glasses. (More on that below.)
What is nearsightedness?
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common visual condition where you see things well up close but cannot see things clearly at a distance. “It happens when the eye grows too long, or the cornea is too curved, which causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it,” says Naomi Barber, an optometrist and clinical services director for Specsavers Canada. “Myopia typically develops in childhood or early adolescence and tends to worsen as a child grows, which is why regular eye exams are so important to detect it early and manage its progression,” she says.
Why should parents be worried about their kids’ myopia?
According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, nearsightedness that’s not diagnosed or treated can affect children in a number of ways. Trouble seeing can impact how well they play their favourite sports, how well they do in school, and inhibit other aspects of their development. There are also possible long-term consequences for the health of their eyes, because myopia is linked to glaucoma (a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve), cataracts (when the normally clear lens of the eye gets cloudy) and retinal detachment (considered a medical emergency because the retina must be surgically reattached).
Why is myopia on the rise in kids?
Research shows that the rate of myopia among children and teens around the world has tripled over the past 30 years, with a noticeable spike since the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, it’s estimated that roughly 25 percent of kids are now nearsighted. “The rise in myopia has been linked to children spending much more time indoors, increased time on screens, increased near-focused activities and less time outdoors,” says Barber.
Yes, that’s right, the tablets really are at least partly to blame. But so is the amount of time we all spend indoors, because we tend to be staring at screens a lot of the time, but also because our eyes need the intensity and full spectrum of natural daylight to function properly.
How can I tell if my kid might need glasses?
Unfortunately, there might not be any obvious signs, especially if they are young. “This is because children don’t have a comparison to clear vision, and so may not complain or exhibit obvious symptoms,” says Barber. Some pre-school kids might give you a clue by holding books close to their faces or trying to sit or stand close to the TV. School-age kids might complain of headaches after school, or their teacher may notice excessive squinting. Ultimately, though, getting a routine eye exam is the best way to diagnose myopia.
How can we slow myopia progression?
Every kid is different, and some will have a prescription that remains the same over time, while others may notice a slow increase in their myopia as they get older. But, as I discovered with my daughter, some kids’ myopia can also progress shockingly fast. Fortunately, there are treatment options for children like mine.
Peripheral defocus soft contact lenses, orthokeratology (ortho-k) hard contact lenses, peripheral defocus glasses, and low-dose atropine eye drops are all Canadian Association of Optometrist-approved options to consider. “These specific treatment methods have been evidenced to help refocus light within myopic children’s eyes in a way that encourages the eye growth to slow down, therefore reducing rapid elongation, or stretching, of the eye,” says Barber. What works best will depend on the age and stage of your child, what your family can handle financially, as well as what you can commit to as part of your eye care routine.
After several discussions with our optometrist, we decided to invest in peripheral defocus lenses for Maisie’s glasses (at a cost of roughly three times a pair of regular ones—I’m very thankful for our health insurance coverage). We have also committed to giving her prescription eye drops every night for at least a year and, luckily, Maisie doesn’t mind this addition to her bedtime routine. Our extreme myopia-restricting measures also include curbing her screen time, taking lots of breaks when reading books, colouring, or doing other close work, and a renewed focus on spending more time outside.
While myopia rates are on the rise in kids, most families don’t realize what’s at stake. According to the Canada Eyecare Report 2025, 82 percent of Canadians are unaware that nearsightedness is increasing faster than in previous generations. “We are also seeing a gap when it comes to routine eye care—45 percent of school-aged children are not receiving the recommended annual eye exams, which is concerning,” says Barber.
The best thing parents can do is turn off the screens, send kids outside to play, and book a yearly check-up.
Modern parenting, made easier
Expert tips, stories and support straight to your inbox.
Karen Robock is a writer, editor and mom of two whose work has appeared in dozens of publications in Canada and the U.S., including Prevention, Reader’s Digest, Canadian Living, and The Toronto Star. Once upon a time, Karen was even the managing editor of Today’s Parent. She lives in Toronto with her husband, school-age daughters, and their two dogs.