Absolutely not. Glasses or contacts correct refractive errors which are there due to the eye being improperly shaped. An optical correction merely bends light so that it enters the eye from a direction which compensates for the eye's imperfect shape. Changing the way light enters the eye has no bearing on how the eye shapes itself over time. By the same token, not using optical correction does not necessarily make the eyes worse, but may simply cause more stain or fatigue.

There is one circumstance, however, where not wearing glasses can cause the eye to focus poorly. This occurs sometimes when nearsighted people do not use glasses to to see up close. The muscles in the eye can become weak or "lazy" from disuse. Wearing the glasses, on the other hand, requires normal muscle function. This circumstance does not apply in all situations, and certainly doesn't apply to all ages because the eyes lose their ability to focus naturally as we age.

Another misnomer is that if you wear your glasses too much, you may become dependent on them. Glasses are prescribed for clearer and more comfortable vision. Of course, we become dependent on them to the degree that they accomplish these goals.