Child Myopia Surge: Optometrists Stress Importance of Outdoor Time

Optometrists are encouraging parents to make outdoor play a priority for their children this school year with new Bupa Optical data revealing that 27% of Australian children who underwent an eye test last year were diagnosed with myopia, according to a news release from the company. The release said spending time outdoors had been proven to be beneficial for reducing myopia risk amongst children, however outdoor play is on the decline with separate research noting that 50% of kids reported not being allowed to play outside alone or with friends at various times. Additionally, a quarter of Aussie kids say they need improvement in the opportunities to play outside and hang out with friends. Bupa Optical optometrist Karen Makin said childhood myopia rates had been on the rise, especially in the years following the COVID pandemic, with fundamental changes to children’s lifestyles lingering well beyond lockdowns. “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. “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,” she said. The release said a 2025 study from Macquarie University found secondary school students averaged around nine hours daily on screens, while primary students spent approximately six hours. This is despite Government recommendations that for young people aged 5–17 years, it is recommended they have no more than two hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day. “While there is a growing trend towards more schoolwork being undertaken online or via devices, we are concerned that recreational time has followed suit, with time spent gaming, on social media or watching entertainment on smart devices at the expense of time spent playing outside,” Makin said. “While physical conditions are often easier for parents to spot, vision problems can be much harder to detect. That’s why we recommend yearly eye-tests for children ahead of the school year to ensure any issues are detected and addressed early.”