Eye clinics across the UAE are reporting a familiar pattern each year — as children return from the long summer break, more arrive with complaints of blurred distance vision, headaches and eye strain. Doctors say youngsters who once developed myopia in late primary school are now showing symptoms much earlier, prompting concerns about the long-term impact on eye health.
The trend comes as screen use becomes increasingly common among even the youngest children. From toddlers watching videos on tablets to school-aged children spending hours on smartphones and gaming devices, specialists warn that excessive near-work activities combined with limited time outdoors may be accelerating the onset of short-sightedness.
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Their concerns are echoed by global research. A 2024 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found that childhood myopia prevalence has climbed from around 24 per cent in the 1990s to 36 per cent between 2020 and 2023. Researchers estimate that by 2050, nearly 740 million children and adolescents worldwide could be affected by the condition.
Outdoor time emerges as a key protective factor
Dr Alaa Khalil Arrat, Specialist Ophthalmology at Burjeel Medical Center, Al Shamkha, said the surge in childhood myopia has evolved from a routine clinical issue into a wider public health concern.
While genetics remain a major risk factor, he explained that they cannot fully account for the speed at which cases are increasing. “What has changed is how children spend their time,” she said.
Research published through late 2024 found that every additional hour of daily screen time is associated with a 21 per cent increase in the odds of developing myopia. However, medics stress that screens are not acting alone.
“Screens are not acting in isolation. They are displacing something far more protective — time outdoors,” added Arrat. She noted that the Covid-19 lockdowns highlighted the link between reduced outdoor activity and rising myopia rates among children.
The age at which children develop the condition has also shifted. “Almost thirty years ago, myopia typically presented around eight to ten years of age,” Dr Arrat said. “Today, I regularly see children at five or six, sometimes younger.”
She added that children under 10 are particularly vulnerable because their visual systems are still developing. Earlier onset means more years of progression, increasing the risk of severe vision problems later in life.
For UAE families, the challenge is compounded by the climate. “With UAE temperatures making outdoor activity difficult for a few months of the year, children are indoors and indoors mean screens,” she said. “Every August, I see a clear uptick in children presenting with blurred distance vision and eye strain.”
Younger children increasingly presenting with symptoms
Dr Syed Muhammad Saad, Specialist Ophthalmologist at International Modern Hospital Dubai, said childhood myopia is no longer confined to older schoolchildren.
“Globally, studies show a clear rise in short-sightedness among children,” he said, also pointing to a combination of genetics, prolonged near work, increased screen use and reduced outdoor time.
In clinical practice, he is seeing more children under the age of 10 reporting symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, frequent blinking and difficulty seeing the classroom board. Parents often first notice their child sitting unusually close to the television or holding devices close to their face.
“The age of presentation has shifted younger in recent years, especially after the pandemic period,” Dr Saad said, linking the change to increased indoor learning and screen-based habits.
Rather than eliminating screens altogether, he urged parents to focus on balance. Recommendations include one to two hours of outdoor activity daily where possible, limiting passive screen use among toddlers, encouraging regular visual breaks and scheduling routine eye examinations.
Dr Vaibhav Sharma, Specialist Ophthalmology at Aster Clinic, Bur Dubai, echoed the concern, saying myopia is appearing earlier than it did a decade ago.
“The numbers are hard to ignore — myopia is on track to affect half the world’s population by 2050,” he said.
Although screens often receive most of the blame, Dr Sharma said the real issue is what children miss out on while using them. “It’s not the screen itself, it’s what children stop doing when they’re on it — namely, going outside,” he said.
For parents concerned about protecting their children’s eyesight, Dr Sharma said the solution is simple but effective. “The single most effective thing parents can do is get their children outside — ideally two hours a day,” he said, adding that natural light remains the only intervention consistently shown to help prevent the onset of myopia.
Source: Khaleej Times