Glasses

[hancockuk]

My teenage daughter asked why are the clever kids the ones associated with wearing glasses.

[placey84]

Erm. . . . would you say it was true?

[Ice.Maiden]

Whatever made her say that?

[Mamyalynne]

its probably purely coincidental in her class or group

[londonlove]

it is a popular misconception that glasses are associated with poor sight caused by reading for over-protracted periods, perhaps in poor lighting. I'm sure your daughter already knows about the stereotypical brainy kids such as Harry Potter, and that's why she's asking this question.
it is an age-old stereotype, nothing to do with her peer group.
It might have originated from a popular view of academic and creative genius.. Milton the poet was said to have ruined his eyesight by toiling away by candlelight, for example.
However, very recent research has claimed that protracted periods of reading does not lead to poor eyesight, whether in dim lighting or not. It is more likely that sickly children in the past with poor eyesight did not venture outside as readily, and therefore entertained themselves with reading and intellectual pursuits.
It's lucky that kids nowadays have full access to sight tests and fashionable frames so there isn't any discrimination.