Tumakuru: Overuse of electronic devices, primarily being mobile phones, and not allowing children to play outside have adversely impacted children’s health, especially their vision in the district. It is found that several children in the district are suffering from vision problems.
From the 2022-23 academic year until the end of December this year, 535,143 children from various schools across the district have undergone eye examinations. Among them, 16,776 children have been confirmed to have vision problems.
In the past three years, such issues have emerged in many children, all of whom are now using glasses, it is said. They are facing eye problems at the school level, it self, it is said.
Of the 2.57 lakh children who underwent eye examination in 2022-23, as many as 3,300 were found to have vision problems. In 2023-24, about 1,52,552 children were tested for vision problems of which 6,746 were suffering from various types of vision problems. In 2024-25, as many as 6,730 students have been identified with vision problems, it is found.
Under the National Programme for Control of Blindness, students are being examined for eye related problems in every school. Vision problems include students unable to see what’s written on the black board, unclear vision and students who prefer to see and write from what their friends had written than what’s written on black board.
“At a time when children are supposed to be playing outside and indulging in games, they are more keen to watch television and mobile phones. However, longer usage of electronic items is having an adverse impact on their health. While mobile phones had become inevitable during Covid, it has also led to vision problems among children,” observed ophthalmologists.
“Children will be active if they play outside in morning and evening as they are exposed to Sun. But majority of parents, do not allow children to play outside. Instead, prefer children to play inside the house. This too has been a cause for concern in vision problems,” remarked Dr Dinesh, eye specialist at the district hospital.