The number of teenagers requiring glasses has almost doubled over the past seven years, according to new research.
The study of 2,000 UK adults regarding the state of children’s eye health suggested that too much screen time could be to blame for the rise.
Scrivens Opticians, which commissioned the survey, found that in 2012, 20 per cent of 13 to 16 year olds required glasses, a figure which has risen to 35 per cent as of 2018 despite sight test numbers remaining the same.
The company’s Sound Insight Report also found that of those with a prescription, 66 per cent were myopic, the medical term for being short-sighted.
The NHS states that myopia is caused by the elongation of the eye, which causes light from distant objects to fall just short of the retina, making the image appear blurred.
Scrivens states that its findings are in line with statistics from the World Health Organisation which suggest the diagnosis of myopia in children has doubled in just one generation.
Sheena Mangat, an optometrist at Scrivens, said: “There is more research that needs to be done into why myopia, in particular, is presenting itself in children in such higher numbers, especially when it comes to determining if there is a link to screen time.
“Trying to encourage children away from their technology to playing outside is not only going to be good for their vision but their overall wellbeing too.”
The report also found that teenagers typically spend around 26 hours a week looking at their mobiles and tablets, watching TV and playing video games.
Furthermore, a quarter (26 per cent) of parents admitted they have never taken their child for an eye test, while 73 per cent said it is a “challenge” to get their children to stop staring at some type of screen for a few hours.
As a result of the report, Scrivens is calling for parents to book regular eye examinations for their children and for more research to be conducted into the possible impact of screen time on eye health.
“Parents always have a long back to school check list, but getting your children’s eyes tested should be a priority,” Mangat added.
“As parents we don’t think twice about taking our kids to the GP should they become ill, or the dentist for regular checks, but arguably an annual eye health examination is just as important.”
In 2018, scientists from the University of Toledo in Ohio discovered how blue light from screens on devices such as laptops and smartphones impacts vision.
The team of researchers stated that prolonged exposure to the short-wavelength light triggers toxic molecules to be generated in the eye's light-sensitive cells.
This then causes macular degeneration, a condition which may result in blurred or no vision in the centre of the visual field.
Dr Ajith Karunarathne, an assistant professor in the university's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said: “We are being exposed to blue light continuously and the eye's cornea and lens cannot block or reflect it.
”It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina."
