An astounding 15 per cent of children who don’t wear glasses say they would like to wear them, according to research by The College of Optometrists - and a further 24 per cent would be happy either way. Harry Potter magic is a major reason behind this remarkable result, with 85 percent of children aged ten and under saying that J.K. Rowling’s bespectacled boy wizard has ‘made glasses cooler’.
Harry Potter is not only the leading style guru for younger children, however, he is also the most widely recognised specs-wearing celebrity amongst those aged between seven and sixteen. When children were asked to specify a famous glasses wearer, Harry Potter was named more than any other celebrity, including Johnny Depp, Elton John and the Queen (see below for the list of Top Ten Faces with ‘Specs Appeal’*).
Dr Susan Blakeney, Optometric Adviser to The College of Optometrists, says: ‘Our research confirms a change that has been quietly taking place for years: while in the past wearing glasses may have made you a source of amusement in the playground, with Harry Potter books and films and movie stars like Johnny Depp at the forefront of popular culture, children can now wear their glasses with pride. Looking after the health of our children’s eyes and making sure they can see properly has always been more important than whether they look ‘cool’ or not, but now that glasses are a style accessory it’s that much easier for parents to persuade their children to visit an optometrist and check that they are seeing as well as they possibly can.’
Other famous faces giving glasses a better image include Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp, who is the favourite of older children and girls: 86 per cent of those aged 13 to 16 say he’s made glasses hip in the playground, and almost three quarters of girls (73 per cent) cite him as their spec-wearing hero. Dr Who is a positive influence on over half (58 per cent) of those surveyed, and Billie Piper comes in a close fourth by impressing four in ten children (42 per cent).
Perhaps surprisingly, the research also shows that the Queen and ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair have played a major role in bringing the ‘cool’ to specs, securing the votes of 31 per cent and 27 per cent of children respectively. Their biggest fans by far are the younger age groups, with over half of seven to eight year-olds looking to each of them as fashion icons.
Urging parents to take their children for regular eye examinations, especially if they have any concerns about their vision, Dr Blakeney says: ‘On almost every high street is a qualified optometrist able to examine your children’s eyes, and there is no charge for children under 16 to have their eyes examined under the NHS.’ She also cautions parents to avoid assuming that everything is fine with their child’s eyesight simply because they don’t complain about their vision. ‘It’s difficult for children to know what is normal because they often have nothing to compare it to, and so assume what they see is normal.’
The College of Optometrists advises parents to watch out for the following signs of potential eyesight problems:
The study was conducted by The College of Optometrists as part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of eye health issues.
*Top Ten Faces with ‘Specs Appeal’
Rank Celebrity
1 Harry Potter
2 Johnny Depp
3 Elton John
4 The Queen
5 Paul O’Grady
6 Bill Gates
7 Tony Blair
8 Billie Piper
9 Dr Who
10 Anne Robinson