Rising vision issues among schoolchildren in DK linked to increased screen time

Mangaluru: A screening of schoolchildren under the National Blindness Control Programme & Visual Impairment (NBCPVI) has revealed a concerning rise in vision problems. This trend is evident not only for urban students but also children from rural regions of Dakshina Kannada. Increased screen time on gadgets, whether for academic or recreational purposes, is contributing to the deterioration of their eyesight.
Data from NBCPVI indicates that children from both government and aided schools have been screened during the current academic year.Between April 2024 and Dec 2024, 1,01,592 children in government schools and 44,359 in aided schools across the district were screened. The process identified 3,738 cases of vision issues in government schools and 660 in aided schools, totalling 4,398 children. So far, 4,109 spectacles have been distributed, and the screening is still ongoing, having reached 1,376 schools to date.
"Previously, our government school children did not have any vision issues. However, over the past five years, I have observed that many now struggle to read and complain of blurry vision. Some have even been tested and confirmed to have vision problems," said a government school teacher with two decades of experience.
Dr Anitha Kiran, senior ophthalmologist, Wenlock District Hospital said, "We have observed a significant increase in vision problems among children aged 6 to 16—a trend that was not present a decade ago. Initially, these issues were primarily seen in urban areas, but we now notice they are also common among rural children. In rural regions, students in private and aided schools report more vision problems compared to those in government schools, where children are more engaged in outdoor sports and use gadgets less frequently," she said.
Explaining the issues, Dr Kiran stated that myopia is the predominant condition, with hypermetropia being less common. "There is also an issue with the acceptance of spectacles among rural children, who mistakenly view them as a stigma. Many of these children, especially girls, feel self-conscious about wearing glasses. We provide counselling to explain that using spectacles can improve their vision and prevent further deterioration," he said.
Dr Krishna Prasad K, medical director of Prasad Nethralaya, said that cases of paediatric myopia increased post-Covid. In order to avoid this, we ask children to play outdoors, get exposure to sunlight, and reduce gadget use. "Even my child is a victim of myopia, and the reason for it is gadgets," he said.