Department of Ophthalmology

How outdoor play protects your kids' eyes from myopathy

Written by National Geographic | January 09, 2025

Rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, are skyrocketing in kids and scientists say it has to do with how little time they're spending outdoors. 

The rise is dramatic enough "it has caused the term 'myopia epidemic' to be used to describe the phenomenon," says Marc Mathias, an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.