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As school starts up in the next few weeks, more young children will head to the classroom with blurry vision.

Nearsightedness is increasing in kids at an alarming rate. The medical term is myopia, a condition in which people can see close objects clearly, but faraway objects, like a whiteboard across the classroom, are blurry.

The trend toward myopia decades in the making and worldwide, but it 

, which suggests more time on screens and less time outdoors might be part of the problem. With the rise in nearsightedness, there’s been a rush to develop treatments that can slow it down, including eye drops and special contact lenses.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why today’s kids are growing up with worse vision than their parents and also eye health across our lives.

What common problems threaten our vision as we grow older and what are the treatments and habits that can keep our vision sharp as we age?   

Find information about free and low-cost eye care at the 

 webpage.  Low income families can also receive free eye care tests and other assistance from 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on:

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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Children’s vision is getting worse. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about why more young kids are becoming nearsighted and how to protect our eyesight across a lifetime — from childhood to old age.   

Why are more kids nearsighted?

Vision glasses sit on an optotype vision chart

Why are more kids nearsighted?

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