Half of Indian children may require glasses soon: blame screen addiction
About half of India’s school children can be mopic by 2050, if lifestyle habits do not change, warning the eye experts.

Long -term spending on phones, tablets and computers has become a major concern for both parents and doctors. This habit, called screen addiction, is affecting children’s health in many ways.
While screen usage has been linked to childhood obesity, which is leading to serious health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, experts are much more screen extending alarm about a more serious consequences of screen time – poor vision in children.
In a recent public awareness program in Nagpur, doctors (Acoin) of the Community Eye Plastic Association of India said that if steps were not taken soon, children going to school in India can have myopia by 50% up to 50% of myopia.
Eye -pathologists are observing a significant increase in cases powered by lifestyle factors, mainly responsible for the widespread use of digital devices and spending outside insufficient time. Currently, about 23% of Indian school children have myopia.
Myopia, or adjacent, means that a person can clearly see nearby objects, but distant things appear blurred.
At the Surya Eye Institute, more than 2,000 children were treated for Myopia alone in 2024. The number of cases is continuously increasing, especially since the Covid-19 epidemic pushed children to learn online and more screen use.

Senior Eye Surgeon and Surya Eye Institute Director Dr. J Goyal said that most children do not need surgery for Myopia.
Dr. Goyal said, “Children do not require complex procedures in most cases of Myopia. They are immediately needed that screen time, insufficient sleep and prolonged indoor activities are negatively affecting their vision.”
He said that changes in small lifestyle can help a lot, such as: wearing glasses if necessary, playing out for at least one hour every day, following good daily habits.
Doctors said that if families work now, the vision of children can be protected, and many serious eye problems can be avoided in future.
Screen and vision connection
The strict scientific evidence between the increased screen time and myopia development is supported by the growing body. Studies suggest that the work near the work, such as focusing on the screen for an extended period, can stress the eyes and disrupt the natural development process of the eye.
This can cause an increase of the eyeball, so the light can focus on it directly in front of the retina, resulting in a blurred distance vision, while exposure to the natural day lighting is believed to have a protective role against Mayopia.

Research indicates that sunlight stimulates the release of dopamine in the retina, which can help regulate eye growth and prevent excessive increase. Spending out time also encourages focus on distant objects, which gives the eyes a brake from close-up work.
To combat this magnificent public health concern, here are many major recommendations for parents:
- Discourage the use of digital devices, such as schoolwork, and highly entertaining screen time.
- Ensure that the children engage in at least one hour external activities daily. This promotes exposure to natural light and encourages distance vision.
- Provide adequate and appropriate lighting for all close-vision functions, including reading and studies to reduce eye stress.
- Schedules regular eye examinations for children, even if they do not demonstrate any vision problems. Initial identity and intervention are important.
- Promote healthy habits including adequate sleep and a nutritious diet, which contribute to overall eye health.
While low -dosage atropin i drop is being used in some countries under strict medical supervision, which is a possible treatment to slow down myopia progress, Indian experts are currently emphasizing preventive lifestyle modifications as the primary line of rescue.
The simple steps taken today can protect your vision for the coming years and reduce the ability to complications of more severe eye in adulthood.