More children are being diagnosed with short sightedness, as local optometrist warns that increased screen time and reduced outdoor play are accelerating the problem and affecting learning in the classroom.
Maddington Optometrist Partner Vincent Ho said he had noticed a steady rise in children being diagnosed with myopia, also known as short sightedness, with the trend accelerating during and after COVID lockdowns.
Mr Ho said the condition most commonly develops in school aged children and teenagers between six and 16 years, when the eyes are still growing and vision can worsen more rapidly.
“Myopia is a significant global public health concern,” he said.
“Optometrists are increasingly seeing their role shift from simply correcting vision to actively managing and slowing the progression of myopia in children.”
Mr Ho said many children were unaware they had a vision problem, meaning parents often only became aware once it began to interfere with learning at school.
Common signs include blurred distance vision, frequent squinting, headaches, sitting too close to screens, holding books or devices close to the face and difficulty seeing the classroom board.
“In many cases, vision problems are harder to spot than physical issues, but they can significantly disrupt a child’s learning, academic success, confidence and development,” he said.
Increased screen use and reduced time spent outdoors have been identified as key environmental risk factors for myopia, alongside non-modifiable factors such as genetics.
Mr Ho said having one parent with myopia increased a child’s risk threefold, while having two myopic parents raised the risk to around six times higher.
Research from Macquarie University last year found secondary school students were spending an average of nine hours a day on screens, while primary school students averaged around six hours. This is well above government recommendations that children aged five to 17 should have no more than two hours of recreational screen time per day.
Mr Ho said spending time outdoors in natural light played a crucial role in reducing the risk and progression of myopia.
He advised children to spend between 90 and 120 minutes outdoors each day, take regular breaks from close up work using the 20-20-20 rule, and maintain a safe distance from screens and books.
“All children should have their eyes tested at least once every two years, and sometimes more frequently depending on their needs,” he said.
“Regular eye checks before vision problems affect learning can lead to better outcomes and help prevent long-term educational and behavioural issues.”
Mr Ho said treatment options aimed at slowing myopia progression included specialised spectacle lenses, multifocal contact lenses, orthokeratology contact lenses worn overnight, low dose atropine eye drops and lifestyle changes.
“These treatments can reduce myopia progression by 40 to 60 per cent or more, depending on the method and how well it is followed,” he said.
“For families feeling cost of living pressure, eye tests are bulk billed for eligible Medicare cardholders, and children and teenagers are entitled to bulk billed tests within set timeframes.”
The City of Gosnells said it encouraged families to make use of local outdoor spaces, noting that time spent outside supported children’s physical health, wellbeing and social development.
Mayor Terresa Lynes said outdoor play remained an important part of building healthy habits for children.
“Spending time outside supports children’s physical health, wellbeing and social development, and we encourage families to make the most of local outdoor spaces,” she said.
Mr Ho said combining regular eye checks with balanced screen use and daily outdoor play gave children the best chance of protecting their eyesight as they return to school.
