Short sightedness (myopia) has been diagnosed in more than one in four children who had their eyes tested last year.
Bupa Optical said in a statement released this morning that the results highlighted the need for children to play outdoors.
It said spending time outdoors had been proven to be beneficial for reducing myopia risk amongst children.
However outdoor play was on the decline with separate research revealing that 50 percent of kids say they are not being allowed to play outside alone or with friends at various times.
The new research showed 27 percent of children who had their eyes tested last year were found to have myopia.
Bupa Optical Optometrist Karen Makin said childhood myopia rates had been on the rise in the years following the COVID pandemic but were also linked to “fundamental changes to children’s lifestyles”.
“We continue to see more and more parents coming in to report that their children have been having trouble in the classroom as a result of vision problems,” she said.
“While factors such as genetics play a significant role in the development of myopia, the common thread amongst many of these new cases is more time in front of screens and less time spent playing outdoors in natural light, which improves contrast sensitivity, reduces eye fatigue, and stimulates dopamine release in the retina, which helps regulate eye growth.”
A 2025 study from Macquarie University found secondary school students averaged around 9 hours daily on screens, while primary students spent around 6 hours.
This was despite health guidelines recommending children aged 5–17 years have no more than two hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day.
Ms Makin said the growing trend towards more schoolwork being undertaken online or via devices was happening as children also spent a growing proportion of their recreation time on screens.
“While physical conditions are often easier for parents to spot, vision problems can be much harder to detect,” she said.
“That’s why we recommend yearly eye-tests for children ahead of the school year to ensure any issues are detected and addressed early.”
