VisionPlus India

THE MYOPIA GENERATION academic pressure, and poor visual hygiene. As these trends escalate, opticians are finding themselves on the frontlines, not only dispensing eyewear but also shaping a proactive approach to early intervention and long-term management. THE NEW LENS CULTURE Myopia has gone beyond being a clinical condition, it’s now a cultural and lifestyle marker. Among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, wearing glasses is as common as carrying a smartphone. From power-check comparisons in school corridors to Instagrammable coloured lenses, eyewear is becoming a symbol of OPTHA TALK I n the early 2000s, the word ‘myopia’ was largely confined to ophthalmic clinics and textbooks. Fast forward to 2025, and it's at the forefront of conversations in classrooms, parenting forums, retail chains, and even public health policymaking. We are in the midst of a global shift, one that opticians and the wider eye-care community cannot afford to ignore. Welcome to the era of the Myopia Generation. THE SURGE IN SIGHT CORRECTION Myopia, or nearsightedness, was traditionally linked to hereditary factors and prolonged near work. But over the past two decades, the explosion of digital device use and indoor lifestyles has propelled myopia into epidemic territory. The World Health Organisation projects that by 2050, half the global population will be myopic. In regions like East Asia, rates among teenagers already exceed 80%. India is rapidly catching up. Urban centres such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru are witnessing an alarming increase in pediatric myopia cases, often diagnosed in children as young as three. The key culprits? Excessive screen time, reduced outdoor exposure, How nearsightedness is redefining vision care and retail in India 46 VISION PLUS INDIA EDITION