Half the planet will need glasses by 2050 - and our addiction to screens could be to blame

May 22, 2017

A woman receives an eye exam at the Care Harbor/LA free clinic in Los Angeles September 27, 2012. The clinic will give an estimated 4,800 patients free dental work, medical exams, screenings and immunizations over four days. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: HEALTH SOCIETY) - RTR38IF6

Myopia is on the rise. Are our smartphones and tablets the primary cause? Image: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

John McKenna

Senior Writer, Formative Content

Our Impact

The Big Picture

Explore and monitor how Global Health is affecting economies, industries and global issues

A hand holding a looking glass by a lake

Crowdsource Innovation

Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:

Global Health

Image: Pew Research Center

Image: Ian Morgan, Australian Natl Uni

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

More on Global Health
See all

Pills alone can’t treat HIV in adolescents. They need psychological support, too

Sarah Bernays and Nicola Willis

December 1, 2023

We are facing a 'perfect storm' on malaria. But renewed efforts can change the weather

Lady Roslyn Morauta and José-Manuel Barroso

November 30, 2023

A new gene therapy could revolutionize the treatment of diseases like sickle cell anaemia. Here’s how

Charlotte Edmond

November 30, 2023

The fight against AIDS is not over but we could win if we let communities lead

Prakash Tyagi

November 29, 2023

What is World AIDS Day and why does it matter?

Shyam Bishen

November 28, 2023

1:23

This is how long it takes to start feeling lonely, according to scientists

Half the planet will need glasses by 2050 - and our addiction to screens could be to blame

John McKenna

Share:

Explore and monitor how Global Health is affecting economies, industries and global issues

Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:

Global Health

Don't miss any update on this topic

Related topics:

Share:

The Agenda Weekly

More on Global Health
See all

Share:

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}}Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:

Global Health

Don't miss any update on this topic

Related topics:

Share:

The Agenda .chakra .wef-n7bacu{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-weight:400;}Weekly

Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

The Agenda Weekly